Tropical Kiss
by CapActive4
Summary: Two girls, Caribbean sun. . . a little international intrigue. STORY COMPLETE! R & R!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the storyline of tropical kiss nor the characters of south of nowhere.**

_"What time is the movie?" Spencer asked._

"_I ended up talking to your father. How about if we just go down there and improvise?"_

_Ash asked._

"_Sounds great," Spencer said happily. But now that she'd mentioned Arthur, she saw a window of opportunity. "Ash what exactly does my father do?"_

_Ash explained to her about the recent acquisition by a U.S. company of Aruba's oil refinery at the southern end of the island. She said Arthur's assignment here had something to do with that._

_Spencer tried to figure how the five passports she'd seen in Arthur's desk could have anything to do with an oil refinery._

_Something was definitely going on._

-------------------------------------------

He was late.

The heat was giving Spencer Carlin a headache. She looked at the long afternoon rays of Caribbean sun sliding toward her along the sidewalk. The bench she was sitting on occupied one of the few areas of shade remaining on the stretch of white concrete outside the airport terminal. Sun was positioned on her freckled Cincinnati Irish skin. She avoided it like the plague.

_How much longer could he be? _She thought, looking at her watch.

God, it was hot.

Spencer glanced over her shoulder at the sliding glass doors leading from the air-conditioned baggage claim area. When she stepped out of the plane an hour ago, it seemed like the entire population of Aruba was packed into that area. Now she knew why. The air was crisp. The white floors were shining. Even the green plants in the raised dividers looked happy and healthy. And cool.

But she hadn't stayed inside. Hobbling on her crutches and pulling her bags behind her, she had come out ahead of most of the tourists

She knew now she'd expected too much. Wished for the impossible. She'd thought Arthur might just be there to pick her up. Waiting for her.

Fat chance.

Aruba's airport was not exactly as busy as Cincinnati's Logan. The flight Spencer had come in on had been the only one arriving at the hour. There were no lines for immigration, no multiple conveyer belts running to process people's luggage. Everything came through quickly and without a hitch, it seemed. In and out within fifteen minutes. She stood in line longer to get a happy meal. A stamp on the passport and everyone as off to hotels and time-shares and whatever.

Spencer looked past the empty taxi stand at the rental car buildings across the way. The sun was blinding on the whitewashed concrete buildings. The entire place seemed deserted.

She breathed in the smells of baked Caribbean cement and jet exhaust. Gross.

Beyond the entrance to the airport, everywhere she looked, the heat was giving the island that hazy, mirage look. She could see in the distance, rising sharply above the flat surrounding area, one high rounded hill with a little white building on top.

"Come on, Arthur", she muttered, tapping her good foot on the pavement.

The sweat was trickling down the inside of the cast on her leg, and the itching was about to drive her crazy. Thank god she'd at least been smart enough to wear a light sundress. She lifted the limp blanket of hair off her neck. It didn't help. There was no breeze to cool her skin. She tied her hair back in a ponytail.

She thought of the magazine article she read on the plane from Cincinnati_. The trade winds keep the island cool with year-round breezes. _Yeah, right.

Spencer leaned over and tried to get a finger down inside her cast. Why was it that the itch was always just a little further down than she could reach? She pulled off her sunglasses and used one of the handles. She still couldn't get at it. The sun had finally reached her, and the rays were crawling up her legs. She gave up, gritted her teeth, and put her shades back on. Behind her the sliding glass doors opened and glanced around at them. A short, middle aged guy came out. Straw Indiana Jones hat, khakis, a large, untucked Hawaiian shirt. Spencer remembered seeing him on the plane. He'd been wearing his hat even then. Later on, as everyone was going up the ramp toward the Aruban customs area, he was walking a couple of steps ahead of her. He had a nose that looked like it had been chewed on by something, and the tan, leathery skin of someone who worked in construction or who had spent lots of hours in the sun anyway. He also didn't look like he was too hot on shaving. His chin could have easily been mistaken for the butt of some aging porcupine.

Looking at him now, Spencer had no idea about his nationality. She knew he wasn't American, though; she'd noticed that he had a different colored passport when he was heading to customs ahead of her.

As the doors closed behind him, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. He was carrying only a briefcase. She glanced at her two suitcases, the backpack, and her purse. Mistake. She didn't know what the heck she'd been thinking, packing so much stuff.

Like she was ever going to leave the house during the couple of months that she was stuck here in Aruba.

She got a whiff of his cigarette smoke and immediately became annoyed. The Last thing she needed was to have her asthma flare up. There was no air here as it was. Wheezing wouldn't be fun. He saw her looking at him. He smiled and started walking toward her.

_Great_, she thought. _American girl abducted from deserted Aruba airport. _

"_Bon tardi," _he said.

"I don't speak. . . Uh, Dutch?" she guessed, not really knowing what language he'd just spoken.

"Papiamento," he corrected. "The native tongue of Aruba."

"You're Aruban?"

"From the islands."

That wasn't much of an answer. There were lots of islands in the Caribbean.

He puffed on his cigarette and pushed back the rim of his hat.

"American?"

Wasn't it tattooed on her forehead?

"Yeah," she said, glad that she spread out her backpack and luggage on the bench. There was no room for him to sit down next to her.

"Your first time in Aruba?"

Spencer wished she could lie. The way he was looking at her was creeping her out. His eyes were kind of squinty, like he was sizing up some ripe cantaloupe.

"First time, she said, looking off toward the road. Two cars turned in from the main highway, but neither came toward the terminal doors.

"Boyfriend picking you up?"

"Not a boyfriend. She kicked herself after saying it. She didn't have to explain.

"Traveling by yourself?"

"No," she said right away. "Visiting my family. Visiting my father. He lives on the island."

"Works for the oil company?

"No."

He took another drag from the cigarette and blew the smoke in her direction. "Hotel business? Casino supervisor?"

"No." She pulled he crutches closer to her. They were the only two people out there on the sidewalk. She looked over her shoulder at the sliding glass doors of the airport building. The sun's reflection on them prevented her from seeing inside. She had no clue if anyone was even in there.

"Construction?"

"No," she answered under her breath. He had moved to where the bright yellow sun was behind him. She could no longer see his face because of the shadow. She decided to turn the tables on him. "Is someone picking _you_ up?"

"How about if I give you a ride?'

"No. Thank you," she said tersely, guessing that he wasn't going to be much for answering questions. Still, she thought, a good defense was the best offense. . . Or the other way around. Whatever. "Do you have a car?"

He held one hand out, palm up. . . Like he was checking for rain. "What kind of man would I be if I had no car?"

"Then why don't you get in your car and get out of here?"

"You can come with me."

"No," she said louder and more pointedly.

"My father is coming to get me."

She could tell he was grinning at her. He dropped his cigarette on the clean sidewalk and crushed it out.

"No oil business, no hotels or casinos, no construction. I say you lie about your father. I think your boyfriend is standing you up. You come with me, I'll show you real island life."

For the first time, fear clutched at her gut. She was in a foreign country. The airport had turned into a ghost town. She had no cell phone. Great.

No that there was anyone she could call here anyway, considering the fact that Arthur had apparently forgotten she was coming to visit. Spencer looked over her shoulder at the doors again. The heck with her luggage. Maybe she could get inside. There had to be somebody. . .

"They locked the doors when I came out," he said, following the direction of her glance. "They want nobody to go in that way."

Porcupine butt picked up her backpack and dropped it on the sidewalk, making room for himself.

He sat, she stood. It was like a seesaw. She grabbed her crutches and tucked them under her arms. She wasn't familiar with the airport, didn't know where the other entrances were, but there was no reason for him to sense her fear.

"_Unda bo ta bai?"_

"English please."

"Where are you going?" He patted the seat next to him. Sit down. Visit with me."

"I don't think so." She hobbled backward a step. "I'd like to be left alone. Please go."

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be left alone." Spencer's temper started to push back her fear.

"I don't know what your problem is, but I told you I'm waiting for my father. . . And he happens to be a high ranking official for the U.S. government. He's in Aruba on an assignment, and he has important people in high places. Very high places." Spencer wasn't about to say it but, from what she could tell, Arthur Carlin had spent his entire, boring, low-level, bureaucratic life behind a desk, pushing paper for those important people. "He should be here any minute. So unless you're looking for trouble, you should just leave me alone and be on your way." The sound of a car speeding on the road jerked Spencer's head around. Immediately her stomach sank. A new Black jaguar with tinted windows was racing toward them. She backed another step away from the curb as the car came up and screeched to a stop. She could hear loud Caribbean/rap music blasting even with the windows closed.

Somehow she doubted that Arthur was in that car.

"You wait for your father, I wait for my nephew. Old porcupine butt was smiling as he got to his feet. The driver revved the engine of the Jag. Even this close, Spencer couldn't see how many people were inside.

"Come with us?"

She shook her head and continued to back away. Her mind was racing. There could be two of them in the Jag, maybe three. They could force her into the car with them. She was liking this idea less and less. The music suddenly stopped.

As the car door started to open, she felt someone put a hand on her shoulder. Gasping, she whirled around and swung one of her crutches hard. The wood connected solidly with the knee of a woman behind her. She heard her curse out loud and stagger backward.

Right away, Spencer had a suspicion that she might have aimed wrong. The young woman holding her knee was dressed in knee high khakis and a white polo shirt with cawrie shell sandals. All in all, she looked too casual to be threatening, in spite of the continuing stream of muttered curses. Spencer saw her bend over and snatch her sunglasses from the sidewalk where they'd fallen. When she looked back at her, there was murder in her eyes.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"You grabbed me. It was self-defense."

"Self defense!?" She said, scowling. "I touched you on your shoulder. You weren't watching where the hell you were going. You were backing right into _me_!"

"You materialized out of thin air."

"I came out the side," she said. "These damn doors were locked!"

She was pretty tall, towering Spencer's 5'6 height by two inches, and had a nice build. Her brown hair was longish and curly, with red highlights on her front bangs. Pretty, but too serious. At least, right now she looked pretty serious. Spencer figured her ego had taken a bigger hit that her knees. She was still flexing her knee, but other than that, she didn't seem to be in too much pain.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people. And stop yelling at me."

"I didn't sneak up on you. _You _backed into _me_."

Her bronze eyes disappeared behind the sunglasses. "And you sure have some right to tell me to stop yelling. Aren't you even going to apologize?"

"I'm sorry," she told her. "But it wasn't like I hit you intentionally."

Spencer then jumped at the sound of the car door slamming. As she turned, the Jag sped off in the direction of the main road. Thankfully her annoying friend was nowhere to be seen. She'd had enough excitement. She'd just wait inside the terminal.

She hobbled back to the bench, picked up her purse and backpack, and slung the two items on her shoulder. The strap of the purse caught on one of the crutches. She tried to unhook it, but the backpack slipped off her shoulder, knocking over the two suitcases like a pair of dominoes. As she reached down to straighten them up, her glasses fell of the bridge of her nose. She tried to catch them but the purse -still tangled up with the crutch-stopped her. Spencer pulled the purse off her arm and took a step back, glaring at all the items in front of her.

"Behave," she muttered at the tangled mess of items in front of her.

All the while, the slim brunette watched this scenario with amusement.

"You _must_ be Spencer Carlin."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the beautifully talented writing of Jan Coffey. Nor do I own the wonderfully talented work, or characters, of Tom Lynch.**

---------------------------------------------------

Spencer stared at her. The brunette was reaching around her for her luggage and obviously reading the nametag on it. The blond grabbed for it and Ash didn't try to wrestle for it.

"Do you know I've been looking for you for almost an hour?" The brunette said.

"Who _are_ you?" Spencer let go of the suitcase and picked up her purse and backpack.

"Ashley Davies. You can call me Ash.," she replied, reaching for the two suitcases. She didn't bother rolling them. Instead, in true macho fashion, she picked them up by the handle and started off down the sidewalk. Her upper body strength was evident through the clingy white polo. And her skater style khaki's kind of gave off a slim tomboyish figure.

"Showoff," Spencer mumbled underneath her breath. "Excuse me," the blond called out.

"I'm parked in the side lot," Ash called over her shoulder. "Stay here. I'll bring the car around."

"_Hello!_" she shouted louder. "You're welcome to my lacy underwear in those cases. But is your name suppose to mean anything to me?"

She stopped and slowly turned around. "Ashley Davies? Arthur Carlin's assistant? Ring any bells?"

"No."

"I'm your father's assistant. A summer intern. I was told you'd be waiting in the luggage area for me to pick you up."

"I wasn't told anything," Spencer had to be careful. The week before leaving Cincinnati, her computer had fried and of course, Arthur's way of communication was through e-mail. With all that Spencer's mother, Paula had on her plate though, getting a new computer was not a priority. " But if I was suppose to meet you, where were you?"

"I was there in the luggage area," she said shortly.

"I was there, too," the blonde replied, matching the brunette's tone. She picked up her sunglasses and put them on. "And so were a couple hundred passengers. Whatever happened to the good ole' days of holding up a sign?"

"Small airport. I didn't think it would be too difficult finding you."

"Really? Even though we've never met. And how would you know what I looked like?"

By now, Ashley was getting pretty tired of the blonde's mini interrogation. "Look, there are a couple of pictures of you on your father's desk."

Spencer could only imagine what kind of pictures Ash was talking about. Junior high school graduation or even earlier. It had been three full years since she had last seen Arthur. And about the same time since she had bothered to send him an up-to-date picture. They talked once a month on the phone for just about an entire minute. And of course, there was e-mail.

Spencer looked over the top of her sunglasses at her. "Do you have some kind of ID or verification of who you say you are?"

Ash shot her an irritated look, but put down her luggage and reached for her wallet in her back pocket. Spencer stared at the card that was push in her face. "You live in Los Angeles?"

"I'm a college student in D.C." She snapped the wallet close and put it back in her pocket. "I had to be somewhere else like, an hour ago. If you can't make it to the lot, I'll bring the car around."

"Grouch," she said under her breath, watching the brunette stalk down the sidewalk with her luggage.

It had been six weeks since her leg had gone into the cast, and Spencer was ready for the special Olympics when it came to moving along on crutches. She wasn't going to be left behind. She wasn't going to wait at some curb so that Ms. Personality could do her a favor.

The car was actually an open Jeep. The blond reached it just as Ash was the second piece of luggage onto the backseat. She didn't seen surprised when Spencer got there though. Or, if she was, she did a swell job at hiding it.

Climbing into the front seat took a bit of maneuvering. She had to find room for her crutches and there was a step she had to climb. To Spencer's surprise, Ash was right there, holding her elbow and helping her up.

It was easy to deal with one's rudeness. However, she was kind of flustered by Ash's help. And by the feel of her hand on her skin. And she also couldn't help but notice-despite the heat-how good Ash smelt. Kind of like spice and leather.

"You didn't tell your father about that."

Ash was standing by the side of the door, staring at the cast. Or maybe checking out her legs, Spencer thought, realizing the hem of her dress had ridden up. She pulled the fabric down.

"I was planning to be out of it by the time I got here. But my doctor didn't agree."

Actually, Spencer had been relieved. She wasn't healed. She could tell that for herself.

"How much longer have you got?"

"Two weeks."

She didn't miss the face Ash made before going around and getting behind the wheel. It was like she was deciding if she could live with it for two weeks or not.

_No more confrontations_, Spencer told herself. Ash was giving her a free ride. And she wasn't going to read into the annoyed looks she gave or anything she says. As far as she knew, this would be the last time they would see each other while in Aruba. And it was only for two months or so.

The brunette tied her hair in a messy bun, fixed her glasses, and started on the main road.

Spencer lifted her face into the wind as Ash started driving. The sun was setting and the balmy air circulation felt good around her.

She tried to pay attention to where they were going. She hoped that once her cast was off, Arthur would let hr use his car. They were traveling on route 1B. She was impressed with the maintenance of the road and the on each side of it. So many of them looked obviously new.

The traffic slowed to a crawl as they reached the capital, Oranjestad(_Oh-ryan-stahd_). She had read it in an airline magazine that it was pronounced like that. As Spencer looked around her, she found the town downright charming. The yellow, pink, and blue stucco buildings looked just like they had in the brochure. The tree-lined streets were beautiful, and the town center was spotless. They sidewalks were filled with window shoppers of every size, age, and color. Restaurants were doing a brisk cocktail business at tables set outside under multi-colored umbrellas, and looking up, she could see more tables along railings and tanned, smiling faces looking back at her.

She looked to her left, across the divider in the road, at the harbor. The surface of the water looked like shimmering gold in the light of the setting sun. The marina was packed with everything from fishing boats to sail boats.

"This is where you come when you want to go shopping," Ash said.

"Really?" She asked wryly. "Do you do a lot of shopping?"

"Me? No. I'd rather have bamboo shoots stuck under my perfectly manicured nails." Ash paused. "You're kidding me, right?"

Spencer smiled sweetly at her and looked out at the brightly lit sign of a club they were passing. "Mambo Jambo," she read aloud. That looked interesting.

"Is there anything else to do in Oranjestad?" She asked.

"There are a couple of museums, libraries, schools, playgrounds, nonalcoholic-accepting areas. . ."

"How about nightlife?" Spencer asked curtly.

"We just passed the theater."

"What about clubs?"

Ash sent her a sidelong glance. "Aren't you a little young for clubs?"

Spencer bit back her answer as the driver of a silver Mercades in the opposite direction planted her hand on the horn and slowed down. The windows of the car rolled down and three blond heads popped out.

"ASH!" The driver waved madly at the brunette.

"Oh my god I love you Ash," one of them sang from the backseat.

Just as one of the blonds was about to open the door and get out, Ash gunned the Jeep, driving around them and down the road. Hanging on, Spencer almost screamed as Ash drove on two wheels on the sidewalk for some twenty yards before making a sharp turn down a narrow street on there right and sped away.

----------------------------------------------------

"Fan club?" she asked, forcing her fingers to release the grip on the seat.

Ashley's face was blushing furiously. She didn't answer right away and when Spencer turned her head to look at her, she looked kind of embarrassed.

"Something like that," Ashley replied.

"Really? How so?"

"I'm…um, well I'm not into labels but. . ."

"You're. . .?"

"Gay," Ashley said."

"Oh."

"Yep."

"Okay."

Spencer really didn't know what else to say. She was feeling pretty ambivalent about the situation. For one, she just met the girl so she didn't exactly know how to comfort her, or talk to her after all. Like, was she the one who wanted to gat all sentimental? Or, was she jus the type to shrug off any intense topic?

One thing she was sure of. They both had something in common. Yes. Spencer. Is. Gay. She "outed" herself a month ago and surprisingly, her parents took it well. Ben didn't really care as long as Spencer was starting to accept him as a stepfather. Paula took a little time to adjust, but in the end, she just wanted Spencer to be happy.

So here she is. Hot and blonde with one of the hottest tomboyish brunette's she had ever seen. Only she's not going to tell her she's gay. In fact, she's not going to fall for her. Spencer just got out of one hell of a heart-wretched breakup with a guy named Jake about 2 months ago. He found out she was gay and confronted her. Then he broke up with her. Problem is, he was a very sweet guy. It was the most weirdest and intense relationship she'd ever experience. Her heart was as fragile as her leg. She learned from experience. She also didn't fancy showing affection in public, _or ever, _as Jake had put it. He tried everything possible to make her see how much she meant to him. He did mean a lot to him, but she never really showed it.

Besides, what would be the point in telling Ash any of this if she never saw _her _again. No point. Exactly.

After a few more minutes of driving, they were back on route 1B on Oranjestad.

Morgan adjusted her sunglasses and looked at Ash again. With the wind ruffling the loose strands of hair that escaped her bun, Ash looked even more hot that she originally thought. She figured those girls were around the same age as Ash. And Ashley was twenty; she figured it out when she saw her license card. Never in her life would she act like the blondes though. Never in her life.

"How far are we from Arthur's house?"

"Ten minutes, tops," she said. "He lives in a section called Bakval. It's a stone throw away from the high rise area. That's where the big hotels are. Nice beaches too."

Spencer smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her dress.

Ash pointed to one of the larger buildings that was under construction. "That's the new hospital."

Spencer tucked that info away for when she got her cast taken off.

"How long has it been since you saw your father?"

"Three years."

The sun dropped below the surface and Ash pulled off her sunglasses. She put them in a space between them. Spencer had to admit grudgingly, that the brunette had some of the longest set of eyelashes she'd ever seen. They perfectly set off her bronze colored eyes. Or were they hazel?

Get a grip Spence, she told herself, unhappy about where her mind was going.

"He's a very busy man you know," Ash said.

She told herself she didn't need to hear any excuses, especially from some stranger who didn't know a thing about her and how her family operated.

Spencer looked out at the scenery on her side of the road. The landscape was more wild here. There were fewer buildings, but you could see things looked more populated ahead.

"I think he's going to be surprised."

He turned her attention back to her. "By what?"

"By you."

Her pulse beat double-time for a few seconds. The blonde didn't know if Ash was trying to be conversational or of if she'd been sizing her up. Was Ash making a general comment or paying her a complement. Ah the wonders of being a lesbian. She decided not to ask. It wasn't like they were going to see each other again after the brunette dropped her off. There was probably a gaggle of blonde bimbos in the brunettes near. . .

"This place. . . Where Arthur lives. . .? Her voice trailed off.

"Bakval," Ash restated the name.

"What kind of house is it?"

"It's a house kind."

"Gee, thanks for stating the obvious," Spencer said while glaring at the other woman. "What I meant was, is it secluded or in a neighborhood?"

"Oh its definitely in a neighborhood."

That was a plus she guessed. There was one question that was bugging her all along though and she decided just to ask it. "Does Arthur. . . does he live alone?"

Ash shot her a curious look.

"Look," Spencer started. "I'm going to be living here for two months and my mom just remarried to a guy and they're traveling to India, that's actually why I'm here and. . ."

"And you want to know if you're going to be a fifth wheel in your father's social life?" Ash answered.

"I won't be a fifth or sixth or twentieth wheel in anything. I just want to know if there is a girlfriend or some hot chick my dad has that's living with him."

"And you didn't think to ask him that before you came?"

"If you must know, communication is not the high on the list of the Carlin's qualities."

Ash nodded. "You don't seem to have any problem getting your point across to me."

"Look, are you going to tell me?" Spencer was getting irritated.

"There's no live in girlfriend."

"Hot babe?"

"Well, there is this one hot 20 year old girl that happens to rent out his guesthouse. It's across an enclosed garden courtyard area."

"Oh, well I highly doubt my dad would be interested in her. He goes for the older, wiser type."

"And the electricity in the kitchen in the guesthouse doesn't work so the person uses the kitchen in the main house," Ash said, ignoring the blondes last comment.

"Do you know her?"

"Yep"

"Young or old?"

"Young. I thought I just told you."

"Oh yeah. Well that won't be a problem."

"Do you always talk to yourself?"

"Do you ever watch the road?" Spencer asked, seeing that she was staring at her.

Ash shook he head in disbelief. But the blonde didn't miss the small smile pulling at the brunette's lips. The girl got more pretty all the time, she thought to herself. Unfortunately. Never mind her pulse doing double-time at the sight of Ashley practically leering at her body, now there was that weird fluttery action going on in the base of her stomach.

Ash turned right onto a tree-lined road. Behind the low walls, small houses lay nestled in shaded yards. Ash made another turn onto a similar road, a couple of hundred feet down, pulled the Jeep off the pavement onto a dirt patch between the road and a stucco wall.

"Here we go."

Spencer stayed in her seat for a minute, staring at the low, rambling villa. Beyond a road toppled with a fence, palm trees surrounding the house was visible. Lush, flowering shrubs were mixed into the landscaping. A gate led into the courtyard, and Spencer could see the top of what she assumed was the guesthouse to the right. There were no other cars near the house, indicating that Arthur wasn't home. She didn't expect him to be there anyway. He was probably out on some business meeting and wouldn't be back till late.

When she stepped out of the car, she forgot the Jeep was pretty high up and ended falling in the dirt on all four's. There was nothing like a graceful landing.

"What the hell! Are you okay?" Ash asked, rushing around to her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Nothing better than a dirt clad landing."

"Whatever," the brunette grumbled, not entirely convinced.

"Hey, do you know the name of the girl who lives in the guest house?"

Ash grabbed the luggage out the back and set it on the floor. "Yep. Her name is Ashley Davies."


	3. Chapter 3

I guess I should tell you all that I have this whole story planned out; beginning to end.

Ugh I hate begging for reviews but if you want me to update everyday, I will need 'em. Cause they make me feel important.

Thanks to all the reviewer's who commented on my mistake. I think I corrected all of Arthur's name.

**------------------**

Arthur Carlin pulled up in the front of the house at 10:15. He parked next to Ash's Jeep and turned off the engine. The lights in the main section of the villa were off.

_She must already be sleep_, he thought. He frowned and shook his head. He hadn't wanted Spencer's arrival to go this way. He learned about the meeting he had to attend with the Aruban governor's only yesterday. That was why he'd e-mailed Spencer that Ash would pick her up from the airport.

Still, Arthur had hoped to get back earlier than this. He's planned to take her out for dinner. Maybe a little celebration after not seeing her for so long. Some kind of welcoming gesture. So much for that idea.

The problem was that his job ruled his life. It always had. It was the nature of the beast. His chosen profession dictated not only his daily schedule but where in the worlds he lived and for how long and when it was time to move again. Not too good for a steady family life. Definitely not too good for raising a daughter.

_We make our own choices in life, and then we live with them._

But that didn't make it any easier.

Arthur was still frowning as he grabbed his briefcase out of the car. When the meeting was still going at 7:30, he knew there would be no celebrating tonight. He called to tell her. Four miles or four thousand miles, the distance didn't matter. He heard the same old chill in her voice, the frosty disapproving tone that sounded so familiar to that of his ex-wife. Spencer had flatly refused his suggestion to order take out and to have it delivered. Whatever Arthur had in the fridge would be good enough, she told him coolly.

Unfortunately, he didn't remember what, if anything, he had in there. He hardly ever had a meal at home. A housekeeper came through there once a week. She was usually good at checking the shelves and stocking them once in a while. So maybe there was something Spencer could eat. He hoped.

He made his way around the car and was heading for the gate leading into the courtyard when he saw the flame of a citronella torch flickering beyond the bushes. As he opened the gate, a chair scraped on the brick, and Arthur saw Ashley's face appear over the fence separating the two sets of courtyard.

"Long meeting," Ash remarked.

"How did it go this afternoon?"

"We missed each other in the luggage area, so she had to wait around a little bit. But I managed to find her."

Spencer had said nothing about this to him when they'd talked on the phone. He looked at the main house and then back at Ash.

"You have a couple of minutes?" Arthur asked.

"Sure."

Arthur cast another glance toward the darkened windows of the villa before opening the gate into the smaller courtyard. Ashley was dressed in green plaid boxer shorts and a gray wife beater along with some black sandals. It was a humid night.

She grabbed a cushion off the porch and put it on one of the metal chairs for Arthur.

"So what's up?" the young woman asked.

Arthur put his briefcase down on the chair. He had to search around for the right words. Finally, he gave up and just asked straight out. "What's she like?"

_She's hot_, Ash thought. "She's seventeen."

"I know that."

"She's probably changed a lot since you last saw her."

"I figured that, too."

"She has a broken leg.

Arthur loosened his tie. "Really? She didn't tell me that."

"She said the cast should come off in a couple of weeks."

Already a complication. His schedule over the next few weeks wasn't exactly flexible.

Damn it.

Right after christmas, his ex-wife, Paula, had called to tell him she was getting married that spring. She'd let him know in her usual pointed way that this was Arthur's "opportunity" to ask Spencer to come and stay with him for the summer. But she had also mentioned that their daughter had her driver's license and was quite independent. While living in Aruba, Arthur had never seen a more enticing place for a teenager. Why, Spencer could probably even get a summer job. He and Spencer could each do their own thing, and he could still "pretend to be a father."

Paula had never lost her way with words.

"Which leg is the cast on."

"The right leg."

"How mobile is she?"

"She can't drive, if that's what you mean," Ash said, apparently reading his mind.

"Is she on crutches?"

"Yeah," she said sitting down. "And she definitely doesn't seem to be looking fo rany sympathy or special favors because of it."

"How did she break it?"

"I didn't ask. I figured there'd be a couple of things you'd want to ask her yourself."

It was definitely a zing, but Arthur let it pass. He'd known the twenty-year-old kid since she was a kid. Ash's father and Arthur had started their careers together and became good friends. Arthur knew that Ash understood the problems that went along with being raise by one parent. Even though her parents never divorced, Ash never saw much of her father while growing up. It was understandable that she'd take Spencer's side.

Arthur pulled off his tie and stuffed it in his back pocket. "I have a meeting in Caracas tomorrow at noon. I'm flying out around nine."

"Does Spencer know that?"

"Not yet," Arthur said. He paused." I need a favor. I want you to take tomorrow off. Spend the day with my daughter. Show her the island, do touristy stuff."

"I don't think she's flown all this way just to hang out with me."

"I'm taking Saturday _and_ Sunday off, so I'll be here for her to hang out with. Tomorrow I can't though."

"Tomorrow's Friday. I'm almost done with those spreadsheets you asked me to put together. You said you wanted the reports ready by the end of the week. That's tomorrow."

"They can wait until next week." He picked up his briefcase. "How about it?"

Arthur stood waiting till the young woman nodded.

"Thanks," he said, turning away.

He could feel the kids eyes on his back as he went out the gate. He crossed the larger courtyard to the sliding glass doors leading into the open living area of the villa.

Arthur trusted Ash. He knew the woman saw a lot of her own father in him, so Ash still had some vestiges of respect and desire to please. But there was still some latent distrust and even hostility there.

_With good reason_, Arthur said. But he could live with that.

Spencer locked the sliding glass doors, but Arthur had his keys. The kitchen and dining areas were all part of the same open arrangement. Two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and an office completed the layout. She had turned off all the lights, and he stood in the darkness for a moment before turning on the lights nearest to the door.

Arthur looked around the room. Everything was very neat. He walked into the office and unlocked the door. Inside, he opened his briefcase and put some appears into the safe under the desk. Locking it up, he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves as he made his way to the kitchen.

He looked again at the open living area. He didn't know what hews expecting, but the place looked exactly the same as he'd left it. The kitchen was the same. No dirty dishes. The counters were spotless. No pairs of shoes kicked off carelessly off to the corner of the red tiled floor. No books or magazines left on the coffee table. Not a single pillow out of place on the furniture. If he had known better, he would have thought that no one had even been here.

Arthur was surprised to feel a knot growing in his stomach as he walked toward Spencer's room. He turned to on the hallway light outside the door and knocked once, softly.

He waited a couple of seconds. Hearing no response, he knocked again.

"Yes?" He could hear the sleepiness in her voice.

"Hi Spencer, is it okay if I come in?" He didn't know he was holding his breath until she said okay.

-------

"Are you okay?" Even in the half light from the hall, he could see her eyes were puffy from crying. Her nose was red. The trashcan next to the bed was filled with used tissues. He grabbed a chair by the desk and dragged it next to her.

She plucked out another tissue as he sat down.

"What's wrong Spencer?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

He knew she was seventeen, but Arthur found himself thrown back in time. What he saw was the little blue eyed girl with the freckled nose. The little girl who always cried when he came back from long trips. She use to accuse him of not loving her. But those were the days when he knew how to win her affection back. She had never cared for gifts. She just wanted time with him. He'd given her all the time he had.

However, Spencer's teenage years had changed that. Paula's growing resentment of their situation had poisoned the air. Her influence had made Spencer bitter. His last visit had coincided with her middle school graduation. That had been their worst time together, ever. During the two weeks that he'd stuck around in Cincinnati, Spencer showed him that she no longer had time for _him_.

She no longer cared if he stayed at home or left. He was on the outside from then on. There weren't any tears, only attitude. And the attitude was understandable.

You make your choices.

Arthur watched as his daughter lay her head back on the pillow, pulled up the sheets, tucking them around her.

"I'm here," she said.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Thanks."

He paused. "Listen, I have a meeting to go to tomorrow morning. Do you think you could wake up early enough to have breakfast with me?"

"Maybe."

"Ash is going to hang around here tomorrow. She'll take you anywhere you want to go. Maybe you two can become good friends."

Yeah. Friends. If only Arthur knew that the blond was usually more than friends with girls. "I don't need a babysitter," she said flatly.

"I know, but I don't want you to feel stuck inside here."

He motioned toward her cast. "I would have left you the car, but I hear you're gonna be out of commission for a couple more weeks."

"Please tell her she doesn't have to hang around. I mean it," she stressed.

"Ash has been working pretty hard since arriving here. She could use a day off."

"But I don't want to put anyone out."

Arthur held her hand. "You're my daughter, Spencer. And I don't care how long it's been since we've had any time together. This is your house. You're not a guest. You won't put anyone out."

It was difficult to see her expression in the dark, but Arthur thought they had a silent understanding since she didn't respond.

"So breakfast tomorrow, and I have the whole weekend booked solely for the two of us to spend time together."

"Okay."

Arthur left the room, actually feeling a slither of hope. Maybe they had a chance. Probably since Paula wasn't around, they could get a chance to get use to each other again. He would have to make most of it this time. Arthur's only regret in life was not having a good relationship with Spencer.

Once Spencer heard Arthur's door close, tears flowed effortlessly down her face. She couldn't stop them. She didn't know how to stop them. It has always been like this. She guessed it would be like this forever.

Ever since third grade, she stopped caring when Arthur left. She had her mom. She knew that not caring was her way of dealing with it. But seeing him again-the anticipation- still crushed her. It made her remember how much she loved him. But she always remembered how short of a time they had together. When he came home, it was only a matter of time before he went away.

So far, this year had been a monumental disaster. First her mom had an announcement of her marriage to Ben. Then her boyfriend found out she was gay, then broke up with her. Then her parents wanted to go to India to adopt a child(that's why she had to go to Aruba with Arthur). And to top it off, When Spencer went with her mom to buy a dress, her mom made a rude comment to her about staring at the assistant lady. Spencer stormed out of the building only to trip over her own dress and fall off the sidewalk into the street.

So now she was here with Arthur, but things would be different now. Sh was older now. She didn't need him. Still he was her father and he said he was glad she was there. Maybe he meant it.

If he didn't, it would be easy enough to close the door again. But this time, she would shut the door and throw away the key.


	4. Chapter 4

The more reviews I get, the faster, and longer my updates will be. And you all know you want a _huge _update _everyday(or every 2 days)_.

Once again, thanks for pointing the mix up of Arthur's name. In the book, the father's name is Phillip so sometimes I accidently put that instead of Arthur.

----

It was twenty minutes to seven when Ash heard Arthur Carlin's car drive off.

She lay back in bed, listening to the staccato whistle of an oriole singing outside her window. She thought about the conversation she had with Spencer yesterday. The blonde hadn't seem too affected by her being gay; no freak outs, no weird glances, nothing. Not that Ashley would have cared. It's just that, she wanted to know what Spencer thought about it. Maybe Spencer didn't care. Ashley knew one thing though, Spencer was extremely attractive. Blonde hair, blue eyes, even the cast gave off a weird cuteish vibe. It was like she was so helpless and all Ash wanted to do was take care of her. But Spencer was so stubborn and wouldn't take help from anyone, which happened to be a major turn on for Ashley as well. _Shit! I'm so screwed this summer_, she thought.

Arthur must have gotten an emergency phone call to leave early. He left around 6:35 and it didn't take one and a half hours to get to the airport. He sure received a lot of emergency calls flying him out of state to be an accountant.

Ash liked Carlin. He was a pretty decent guy It was a good opportunity, too, to intern for an official in the U.S. Department of Energy. Carlin's specific duties centered around the import of oil. The way Ash understood it, he was some kind of specialist. One-of-a-kind expertise Ash had been told. As a result, Carlin moved around a lot. Aruba's oil refinery had been purchased recently by a U.S. company. Carlin's assignment had something to do with that.

So far, that was as much as Ash knew about what the old man did. Of course, she'd only been on the job for three weeks. If her own tasks were any indication, though, there was a lot of number-crunching and paper-pushing involved.

Around 8:30, Ash padded barefoot across the courtyard to the villa. The sliding door was open. She could see all the windows had been opened too. The air-conditioning unit was silent.

"We'll see how long that lasts," she murmured. The air was pleasant now, but this looked to be another day with _no_ breeze. Ash knew that in another hour or two, the heat and humidity would be brutal.

She called a loud greeting into the house, but as she poked her head inside, she could hear the shower water running in one of the bathrooms. She stood in the doorway for a minute, considering if she should leave and come back in a little while. She didn't want Spencer to get creep out.

As she turned to go, the phone started ringing. She knew Arthur's answering machine would pick up, and after three rings, it did kick in. But it disconnected and the phone started ringing again.

The shower continued to run. After the third ring, Ash figured someone was trying to get a hold of Spencer. As far as she knew, it might have been Arthur.

She walked over and picked up the phone after the fourth ringing attempt.

"Hello. Carlin residence."

The connection was horrible. It sounded like she was she was talking into a tin can. A big tin can from the sound of the echo. It had to be an overseas call.

"Spencer, is that you?"

"No. Spencer is in the shower at the moment. Would you like to call back later?"

"No, that would be very difficult. I really need to speak with her now."

"Oh, wait a minute." She listened again. The shower had stopped. "I think she's done. Let me go get her for you."

"Spencer, telephone!" she called loudly, approaching the bedroom with the phone in her hand.

Her bedroom door was closed so Ash knocked. "Spencer?"

Ash thought she heard her voice. It sounded like it was coming from a deep well.

"What?" Ash called.

The blonde said whatever it was again, but Ash couldn't make out the words.

The bedroom door was unlocked. She poked her head in. The bed was made. The suitcases were open on the desk and on a luggage stand. The closet doors were left partially open and it looked like she was half unpacked.

"Spencer?"

"I'm in the bathroom. I need help."

She wasn't sure she heard her right. "Did you say you need help?"

"Yes." She sounded frustrated. "My foot is stuck. Please help me."

The woman on the phone was saying something, giving Ash some kind of instructions. Ash dropped the phone on the bed and approached the bathroom door. She tested the knob. It was locked.

"You have to unlock it," Ash said through the door.

"I can't. I told you, my foot is. . . My cast is wedged between the bathtub and toilet."

"How did you do _that_?"

"When I stepped out of the tub, I slipped and . . . It doesn't matter how I did it. It just happened. And I'm stuck. And I'm starting to panic. And that's not a good thing. I have asthma, and even though I haven't had an attack for awhile, stress is one of my triggers. And right now, I'm feeling really stressed. And it's really hot in here. And I-"

"Spencer," Ash said sharply. "Stop talking. I'm going to get you out in a couple of seconds. It's no big deal."

She reached above the door, just like in her family's house while she was growing up. When Ash was a kid, her younger brother's middle name had been mischief, and the monkey liked to lock himself up. So, as a family, they were always prepared.

This was Aruba, though, not Los Angeles. There was nothing on the ledge. She looked at the doorknob again. It looked the same as the ones at home.

"You can't get me out. Can you?" she asked. The was definitely a touch of panic in her voice.

"Of course I can." Maybe something thin and sharp would work. Ash wondered if Arthur had a tool box.

"You're lying, I'm stuck in here."

"I don't lie."

"I can hear it in your voice."

"You don't know me well enough to read that kind of stuff in my voice." Ash said. "Just hang in there. I'll be right back."

"Well it's not like I have anywhere else to hang at the moment so. . . wait, where are you going?" There was worry written in her voice.

"I'm just going in the kitchen for a second."

"Great," she said. "While you're having your breakfast, be sure to make yourself some coffee and. . ."

While she was talking, Ash hurried to the kitchen and opened cabinets and drawers in search of anything that might work. Spencer called her name a couple of times.

"I'm coming," Ash shouted back, grabbing a very thin meat skewer.

"I don't have an inhaler with me," she was saying as the brunette reentered the room. "My chest is getting tight."

"Spence," she said calmly through the door. "I'm getting you out. Now talk to me. Tell me something."

"What?"

"Anything," she said, sticking the tip of the skewer in the hole. It fit in the hole, so good so far.

"My mind is blank." She paused for a second. "And no wisecracks from you."

Great. She's feeling claustrophobic, stuck in a bathroom, in need being helped and rescued, and still finds time to be annoying, Ash thought. 

"I wouldn't think of it." Ash moved the piece of metal around in the lock. Trying to feel for the little button she needed to push in order to unlock it. "Tell me about your high school."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not my high school anymore. I have to go to a different school for my senior year."

"Why is that?"

"My mom is moving into my step dad's house once they get back from their little escapade. I have to live with them."

Just as she almost had it, the metal rod slipped out of her hand and fell with a clatter to the floor. She picked it up and pushed it in again.

"Tell me about your friends."

"I don't have any."

"You're lying."

"Oh how'd you figured that? _Read it in my voice?_" Spencer mockingly asked.

"Maybe I did," Ashley countered. She crouched down to get a better grip on the skewer.

"What happened to not knowing me long enough to do that?" Spencer asked.

"It doesn't apply to me," Ashley said.

"Say's who?"

"Say's. Me." Ashley huffed as the doorknob clicked. "Finally," Ashley grumbled.

She opened the door to the sight of the blondes naked back. Spencer screamed and Ash scrambled to close to door.

"Jesus, I just opened the goddamn door. You didn't have to yell."

"What do you think you're doing? You can't come in. I don't have anything on."

"You didn't tell me that before. Besides, we're both girls. It's not like you have something I don't," Ash said in self-defense.

"Just because we have the same body parts doesn't mean I want you ogling over mine," the blond said, looking exasperated and a little flushed.

"Okay, okay. No peeking. Happy? Do you have a towel in there?"

"Of course I do, but I can't reach it. My foot is stuck remember?"

Ash stuffed her hands in her jean pockets and shook her head, smiling. She was wearing short jean cutoffs and a yellow wife beater "You're a piece of work."

"What did you say?"

"I said, tell me exactly what you want me to do."

"That's not what you said," she replied in a reprimanding tone.

"Would you like me to leave?"

"No, she said quickly. "I'm really stuck here. And I don't want to break anything again."

"Instructions, Spencer."

"Well, you have to throw me a towel."

"Where is it?"

"There's one hanging from the wall behind the door. It's just out of my reach."

"Most people put a towel within reach before they get in the shower." Ash smiled again as she heard the blonde mimicking her words back at her under her breath. "How am I suppose to throw you a towel?"

"Are you one of those boy-horny lesbians that get all turned on from the slightest sight of exposed skin?" Spencer asked.

"Depends on the person I guess." Ash answered nonchalantly.

"Well then, close your eyes. Reach around the door and hand the towel to me."

"You trust me to do that?" she asked, amused.

"What. . . To keep your eyes closed? You'd better. Besides, there isn't much to see. Trust me."

Ash _had_ seen, and the blonde was wrong. But she wasn't going to correct her on that count right now.

"Okay, here we go." She opened the door, closed her eyes, and put one foot in.

"Close your eyes."

"My eyes _are_ closed." _This is so babyish_, Ash thought. "I thought there wasn't much to see," she commented.

"Just keep them closed," Spencer said, agitated and slightly embarrassed. "Turn to the right."

Ash's hand, by mistake, brushed against her skin. She was wet. And she smelled great. The blonde pushed her hand away.

"Hey I meant my right, your left. The towel is just behind the door."

Ash tried not to think of which part of her body she just touched. She turned to the left, grabbed the towel, and pulled it off the rack. As she turned and took a step, her foot caught on something and she felt her other foot slip out from under her. The next thing she knew, she heard her head bang on the wet tile floor, and she was lying flat on her back.

She saw this hazy image of long blonde hair brushing over her as the towel was wrenched out of the brunette's hand.

"Are you okay? You should be more careful."

"Careful?" she asked, lifting her head to see what she tripped over. "What are your crutches doing in the bathroom?"

"I need them to get around."

She laid her head back on the floor. She could already feel a small lump growing on the back of her head. She looked at the other girl. Spencer had the towel slightly wrapped around her, and she was sitting on the edge of the toilet. She had long, beautiful arms and shoulders. Ash's eyes traveled up her neck to her mouth.

"You don't look to good," Spencer commented. "You're not gonna pass out on me, are you?"

Ash caught her hand. It was a strange feeling. All of a sudden, she needed to touch her. She looked to beautiful to be real.

"Ashley," she said, more sharply. "Snap out of it, will you? I can't even get to a phone to call 911. I don't even if they have 911 in Aruba. Please!"

"The phone! She said, letting go of the blonde. "Somebody is on the phone for you."

"They'll have to wait. I'm still stuck." She reached down and helped Ash as she sat up.

Ash felt the back of her head, stretched her arms, and turned around to see how Spencer had gotten herself so jammed into that little space. The culprit seemed to be the plastic bag she had tied around her cast. It was also caught on a plumbing valve behind the bowl.

She started to pull it away.

Spence touched the back of the brunette's hair, and felt the small lump on the back of her head. Ash winced.

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged in response, not wanting to look up. Ash was at a total disadvantage, sitting there. She didn't particularly mind the feel of the blondes fingers in her hair, but the rest was too much of a temptation.

"

I promise not to make a habit out of this."

"Of what?" Ash asked. The plastic cover came free. She figured Spencer could pull her foot out now, if she tried. But she didn't tell her that.

"Of hurting you."

Ash looked up into her face and smiled. "You think you're a tough guy don't you?"

"Very tough. So maybe it'd be better if you keep your distance." She pulled her cast out, and bent over her knees to check Ashley's progress. The intoxicating smell of soap and shampoo went right to Ash's head. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"I think that'll be a little difficult."

Their gazes met. "Why do you say that?"

Spencer noticed her eyes took on a darker bronze color._ Uh oh_, she thought.

"You're the bosses daughter. And his specific instructions were to stick close to you."

"I don't particularly like that."

"You don't want me, _thee_ Ashley Davies, hanging out with you?"

"I don't want you to do it because it was Arthur's orders," she responded, sitting up straight again. "I don't need a keeper."

"

I'm afraid you do." She touched Spencer's cast. "At least, until this thing comes off."

"Wrong again. I've been living with this thing for six weeks. I've only missed one day of school because of it. I've been doing it all. Climbing stairs, getting on the bus, catching the subway."

"Taking a shower."

"Accidents happen. I won't do it again. Now don't you have to go to work or something?" She started to get up.

"No I have the day off." Ash pushed to her feet and stretched an arm out to help the other girl get up. Spence shook her head and got up on her own.

"Then you should go visit your friends. Do whatever you do when you have a free day."

Ash hadn't realized till hat moment how crowded they were in the bathroom and how small that towel was on Spencer. She was a knockout. "If you don't mind, I'd like to spend the day with you."

Spencer followed the direction of the other girl's gaze, and a blush began too rise from the top of her chest, onto the skin of her neck and face.

"That may not be such a good idea." Spencer pushed the other girl out of the bathroom ahead of her. "Now out of here, out of my bedroom."

Ash stopped as she saw the phone on the bed. "I don't think they're still holding."

"If they're not then they can call right back. "Now out," she yelped.

Outside in the hall, Ash heard the click of the bedroom door lock, and smiled.

This day would definitely be too much fun to miss.


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.

THANK YOU soo much for all the reviews last chapter! I was smiling at everyone of them. In fact, I'll try to have chapter 6 up today as well.

--------------------------------

Every inch of Spencer's body was tingling, and she couldn't understand why. It wasn't like her to feel this way. Of course, no one had ever looked at her like that before, either. Not even Jack. _Focus, Spencer. Focus_, she thought. She didn't want to hang with Ashley because she didn't want to like her anymore than she did already. She didn't need a rescuer. She didn't need someone to care for her. She had herself, and that was enough. Now, just to get the image of the brunette's hot body out of her mind. Or the way the brunette's bronze/hazel eyes explored her body while wrapped in the towel. God, her eyes were so goddamn beautiful.

_Shit! I'm so screwed this summer_, she thought.

She dropped the towel onto a chair and grabbed a pale blue sundress from one of the suitcases. Wearing pants would be a difficult task this summer. Pulling it over her head, she carefully sat on the bed and reached for the phone.

"Hello."

"What's her name?" her mother asked.

She gasped, even muttered a curse. "What are you doing spying on me like this while you're out on your child searching journey?"

"About five minutes ago, I was starting to get a little nervous about the cost of this phone call. But every time I decided to hang up, the conversation between you two got better and better. So, what's her name?

How old is she? Is she in your definition of hot? Is she gay? Have you two had lesbian sex yet?"

"MOM!" she yelled, her faced paled. "What kind of questions are those. God did you think that maybe I would like to know her before. . .Oh my god mom this is so awkward."

"I just speak my mind honey. Like it or not, you're going to hear what I have to say."

Spencer thought if that's where she got much of her hardheaded attitude from. "She's a college student in D.C. doing a summer internship with Arthur. She rents a guesthouse nextdoor… actually on the same property. There isn't really much I know about her," she said. She decided to leave out the part of her being gay.

"Athletic?"

"Yes."

"Tall?"

"Yep."

"Handsome?"

"Mom-"

"I know, I know. I once promised myself to ask you that once you met a cute guy. . . or girl, in this case."

"Way to aim for the stars."

"Okay, okay. Is she pretty?"

_God yes! _"You're getting way to personal Paula."

"Fine. Don't tell me. What's her name?"

"Ashley Davies."

"The Davies of Raife, Los Angeles?" Paula asked. "It has to be-"

Spencer tried to remember the address she'd seen on the driver's license. "I think so. Do you know them?"

"Of course I do. I know Ash. You do to."

"I don't think so. I'm getting older, but not senile. I've never met this girl in my life."

"You definitely have. You've been to their house."

Spencer sat up straight on the bed. "You're getting ahead of me. Start all over again. How do you know the Davies family?"

"Ash's father and your father have known each other for a long time. They were best friends. Raife Davies was the best man at our wedding."

"Now that's a bad omen if I ever heard of one."

"Don't say that. They're a very nice family. I've lost contact with them since my divorce. What are her parents up to? Where did you say she goes to school?"

"Why don't I put her on so you can talk to her instead?"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"No. Not at all," Spencer said, trying to keep her tone neutral. She _was_ being sarcastic. And she was still disappointed with her mother for not trusting her enough to stay in Cincinnati.

"How's India?"

"We haven't left the airport yet."

Spencer tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder. She found some underwear before hanging up more of her clothes. Her mother went into very intricate detail about her flight, including what she ate and read on the plane.

It was like a reality show, except nothing happened.

As Paula talked, it occurred to her that her mother never once asked how she liked Aruba. She must have not wanted to know how she and Arthur were getting along after three years of separation. Even if she had asked though, the blonde didn't think it was worth mentioning that she hadn't yet spent time with him. Despite his invitation for breakfast, he was gone by the time she woke up. She'd found his short note about an emergency at work or something.

An itch down in her cast was driving her crazy. She grabbed a metal hanger she had straightened last night, and pushed it down along her skin. As always, the itch was farther than where she could reach.

"This phone call is going to cost more than if you flew me to India," Spencer said, encouraging her mother to hang up.

"Oh yeah, well I guess you're right."

"How's he doing by the way?" she asked, in order to show some sort of kindness.

"He's doing fine. Well disregarding the fact that he hates flights," her mother mumbled.

"Well, that sounds wonderful."

After a few more minutes of advice and warnings, Paula finally hung up.

Spencer then busied herself n her room by putting clothes away and wondering if Ashley had left. Another five minutes and her curiosity won out.

She was in he kitchen, sitting on one of the high breakfast stools and reading the paper. Spencer didn't miss the two bowls of cereal and juice set out on the counter.

"Expecting company? She asked.

"Yeah. There's this certain blonde girl I'm waiting for."

Ash's gaze wandered down over her dress, and Spencer had to stop herself from seeing if she'd left a button undone of if there was some tear somewhere. She looked back at her paper. The brunette had a way of flustering her.

"She might have had breakfast already," Spencer commented.

"She might have, but she didn't."

"How are you so sure?"

"Nothing in the dishwasher."

Ash was right. Spencer was starving. She lay the crutches on the wall and made her way to the other stool.

Spencer unconsciously stared at the other girl, trying to remember if she'd seen her in any of the photos her dad had.

"See anything you like?" Ash asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Spencer blushed and turned her attention toward her cereal. "Did you know we've met before?"

"Of course."

"You did?" she asked in shock.

She ate a spoonful of cereal and nodded.

"Why didn't you say something before?"

"When was I going to mention it? I only met you yesterday and this morning didn't seem like the best time to bring it up."

"You could have said something yesterday."

"I don't think so. My clearest memory of you was you skinny-dipping in my parents pool with me."

She sputtered and nearly choked.

Ash patted her back. "Don't you hate when the milk comes out your nose?"

"No way. I don't remember any of this," the blonde said. "How old was I?"

"Three I believe, since I was six and all."

"Yeah, well what a wonderful thing to remember," she said. They were both smiling like idiots at the thought of it.

"You're not happy here are you?"

"I don't know how I could be. What I'm ticked at is my mom's lack to show flexibility."

"What did she, or didn't she do?"

"I'm in Aruba."

"Oh, right, you were forced to come here," Ash said, a little saddened.

"No it's not necessarily coming here that bothered me. It's the fact that I didn't even get to choose if I wanted to come or not."

"Oh."

"Plus, Arthur and I are strangers. He doesn't want me here anymore than I want to be here."

"What makes you say that?"

"Do you see him here?" the blonde asked.

Ash didn't answer.

"My life has been so messed up you just don't know. My dad not being there, mom getting married, she and her new husband are going halfway around the world for a new baby and sent me of to live with the one person I barely even know." Spencer sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have unloaded everything on you. Just know that I live in a very dysfunctional family, making me just as dysfunctional."

Ash's hand closed over hers.

"Look, Spencer. You're stuck here for the summer whether you like it or not. But it doesn't have to be a waste. Aruba's a great place. We just have to think of a few things to do to make it bearable."

Spencer smiled.

_We_, Spencer thought. _She just said we_.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay as promised, here is chapter 6, yay!

Please, please, pretty please review.

Like it so far? Or not? Let me know.

Chapter 7 _should_ be up by tomorrow.

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Spencer was sure she would hate Aruba, but Ash loved it. And she was determined the other girl's mind.

As they began to talk about it though, she began to realize how tough that would be.

Spencer didn't like the sun, and wasn't too crazy about sand. She couldn't go swimming until the cast was off. It was the same with all the other water activities too. Tubing, windsurfing, parasailing, snorkeling, scuba diving- it was all out of the question. To top it off, she claimed all sailing and boat rides made her seasick.

_If you can't do anything else, at least do me_, Ash secretly thought.

Spencer was trying to be difficult, But Ash knew that if had more to do with her parents than with the island paradise.

She wasn't giving up.

Ash had been thinking about giving her the twenty five cent tour of some of the popular tourist shops, followed by a big lunch. She even considered introducing her to to some of the summer boats they would certainly cross paths with.

After some prodding, Spencer finally agreed.

"Just so long as I don't have to get out of the car if I don't want to."

"Of course."

"And only if I definitely don't have to admit to anyone that I had a good time. . . Just incase someone asks me on a later date."

"That goes without saying," the brunette said, smiling.

There were dozens of American high school and college students who's parents had houses down here. They worked, or just bummed around the island in the summer.

If she were asked, Ash would admit that she didn't think too highly of most of them. Like everywhere, the summer set included their set of airheads, self--focused princesses, and weed smoking morons. But there were some fun people she'd met here too. Those were the ones she started hanging out with on occasion. With any luck, they'd run into the good ones.

It was 10:30a.m. when they finally got on the road.

"I was going to give you an all-day whole-island tour, but I've changed my mind," she announced as they pulled away from the villa.

"That's alright, I wouldn't last for an all-day anything anyway," She said. "However, I'd like to eat at noon."

Ash considered skipping the tour and taking her out for a second breakfast, but then quickly decided against it. The blonde's mood changed so quickly that Ash wasn't sure she'd be able to get her to see the island if they ate. At the end of the road, they turned south on the main highway. "Isn't this the same road we drove on last night? The one from Oranjestad?" she asked, looking around.

"Yeah, it is."

"Then how come the sign we just passed said this is route 1A? Last night, it was route 1B."

"One of the peculiaries of the island. The road that have numbers with A are going one way. The one with B goes the other way. I figured it must make it easier for the mail delivery."

The sun was already hot. But the breeze from the open sides of the Jeep felt good. Spencer tied her hair in a ponytail and wore a big straw hat over it. She had on the same sundress on from breakfast. Spaghetti straps and knee length skirt was a bit conservative compared to what most other American girls were wearing on the island. But she looked damned cute in it.

At the stop light, she took a tube of sunscreen out of her bag and started applying it on her arms.

"I guess you know how to keep your skin from burning too badly." The blonde looked up. Ashley had on of

the most amazing tans one could ever get.

"Yeah, I had to live with it for a while."

The brunette's gaze followed the motion of her hand as she spread the cream on her neck, down the neckline of her dress. "Do you ever tan?"

"Not really. I burn. I get sun poisoning. I peel. Then it starts all over again."

Maybe we could fix that," she said, taking the cream out of her hand and looking at the SPF. It was thirty. "This won't cut it. Let's go with 60."

Ash pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and told her to wait.

-----

Spencer tried not to moan or melt into the seat as Ash spread some of the sunscreen she just bought on her shoulders and back. Her hands were soft and warm. Her fingers smeared the cream, but dug it gently into her muscles. It felt absolutely wonderful. She held her hair above her head as the older girl's fingers moved up and massaged it onto her neck. Spencer wondered if the other girl knew what kind of effect she had on her in just that simple task.

"So where are we going?" she managed to say. Her voice sounded more like a high-pitched croak.

"I'd thought I'd take you to my favorite place on the island."

"Okay," she said softly, taking the tube.

"Can you manage the rest of it?"

Spencer nodded reluctantly. She would have loved to have Ash continue with what she was doing, but she was a coward. She put dabs on her arms and watch the other girl get the Jeep back on the road.

As they drove, Ash told her about the section of the island they were leaving behind. She talked about the Malmok, where the wealthiest people and most Americans connected with the resorts lived. She told her about the lighthouse at the northernmost tip of Aruba. She told her about the golden beaches and golf courses with it's surrounding villas and homes.

The brunettes feeling was that the northern part of the island wasn't representing what most of Aruba was like, but she'd see that for herself.

It wasn't long before she turned left and started inland. Spencer noticed different in affluence right away. The houses were smaller, but they were still well-kept. As they passed little villages, Ash explained the islanders here _seemed _to have less, but everyone she talked to said they had everything they needed. Real poverty and crime were pretty much non-existent on the island.

"And Arubans take real pride in their land," she told her. "They feel like they've been blessed with so much even though they don't have the natural resources to show it."

"Aruba seems so dry," Spencer commented, looking at the sparse vegetation on the hilly landscape thay were approaching. "It's not as lush and green as you normally picture when you think of a Caribbean island. It kind of reminds me of Arizona."

"That's true," she said. "And they consider it one of their blessings."

"How is that?"

"One guy who gives tours here told me that the lack of water made it less appealing to conquering Europeans, who set up slave populations on other islands. There were still Europeans here though. The Spainards used it for raising horses, then the Dutch, then British, then Portuguese, then the Spainards again. The Dutch ended p with it."

"On the plane trip down here, I read an interesting article about the Native heritage," Spencer told her.

"Something about archaeological artifacts dating back to forty-four thousand years ago."

"Yeah. Stuff from Indians or their predecessors. And they've been coming here from South America ever since the stone age. As recently as the 1900's, over one-third of the population was non-Europeans. Once your out of the cast, I can show you some rock drawings around the local caves at Arikok. I think the whole thing is pretty cool."

Spencer considered it a good sign that Ashley would still be talking to her two weeks from now. The brunette had been very caring for her ever since she'd gotten here. She made a mental note to make it up to her somehow. "So, where exactly are we going?"

"The eastern side of the island. Also known as the windward coast."

"Is that a figure of speech, or is there actually a breath of wind there?"

"There is wind and plenty of it."

"But only nine months a year," she said, finishing the sentence for the older girl.

"Wait and see."

Spencer wasn't entirely convinced. She just wasn't sure she was built for a place like Aruba. At least, not in the summer. Her arms were sizzling from the rays of the sun. She spread more cream on them. . . And thickly.

"Our jet circle the island at least a half-dozen times before landing. There didn't seem to be much on the eastern shore."

"Most of it is parkland. A lot of rock, cacti, and brush. The wind and tides are so strong on that side, that the ocean over there is not safe for swimming." she shrugged. "To me, that's part of Aruba charm, though. You he nature, wild and untouched, right over the hill of from some of the most calming water and beautiful beaches of the Caribbean."

"Beauty and the beast huh?"

"Yeah, and now you get to meet the beast."

The Jeep reached the crest of a hill and suddenly, Spencer felt the wind change. No longer just the effect of moving the vehicle, the wind was already cooler. The breeze whipped her hair into her face and almost whipped her hat right off her head.

The sea glistened in the morning sun. The white- capped surf was heavy here, while rolling breakers crashed into explosions of foam against the shore. The sound of the sea was in her ears as well, and for the first time, she could smell the salt in the fresh air. As she looked at the gorgeous sight, Spencer didn't think she ever saw so many shads of blue and turquoise. Ash drove the Jeep down the winding road toward the shore. As they descended toward the base of the hill, she could see a large white building and a parking lot. It looked like it was built on the edge of the cliff of light-brown rock. The pavement looked almost white n the sunlight as well, and a small tour bus and a dozen white cars were parked along a fence on one side of the lot.

"The air is actually cooler," she said.

"Wait till we get down there, then you'll really feel the difference."

"This is your favorite place in Aruba?" she asked. As Ash pulled into the lot.

"Well, one of them," she responded, pulling the car in against a low, stone wall. "Aruba is so beautiful, it's hard to have just one favorite place."

Spencer looked back at the white building. It was a restaurant and a tourist shop. She looked at the other girl, somewhat perplexed.

"Not the shop," she said. She pointed to a rock formation beyond the wall. "The call _that_ the natural bridge."

Spencer looked across the flat-top arch of rock stretching over the incoming waves. It connected to a miniature island fifteen feet into the water. The arch had been carved out b he force of wind and the waves, and it was truly a magnificent sight. Morgan saw kids holding their hands out like wings as they walked across the bridge. On the beach, there was a gazebo-like building. She looked back at the sea and was speechless for a couple of minutes, stunned by the sheer beauty and power of the spectacle.

"Does this meet your definition of wind?"

She nodded. "Let's get out."

"Of course, she replied, but Spencer was already getting out of the Jeep. This time, she was careful of not landing on her hands and knees. By the time Ashley came around, she already had her crutches tucked under each arm and was headed to the bridge. She caught up with her.

The wind was so strong that Spence took of her sunglasses and hat. Reaching the rock-strewn bridge, she moved across until she was in the middle of the span. Facing he water, she soaked up the feeling of the wind, spray, and sun landing on her face.

There was something very cleansing about standing there. It was as if she could give up all her thoughts, troubles, and her soul up to the beauty of nature.

She understood why Ash liked this spot so much.

Finally, the blonde looked at the other girl. She was standing beside her, watching her. "I don't think I've ever seen any sea or ocean so. . . So. . . Impressive I guess," she said over the sound of the wind. "It's incredible."

"I totally agree. But I highly doubt you'd want to climb all of those stairs." She pointed to the Gazebo on the beach. She had to agree. As they walked to the side of the bridge, Spencer noticed a tall blonde woman come out on the beach and start waving madly at them.

"I think someone is trying to get your attention."

Ash looked, and after a lengthy, pause, waved back.

The woman pointed up the stairs.

"I think she wants to meet you at the top of the stairs."

"I'll be right back," she said ,a note of reluctance in her tone.

Spencer watched her make her way off the bridge. After breakfast, shed changed into a pair of orange girl boardshorts and a tight-fit, navy blue polo shirt. She had all three of the buttons down, exposing a decent amount of between her breasts. She had on a shark-toothed necklace as well, and pearly white sandals on. Spencer thought the look fit Ashley well. She had that beachy hot attitude attire. Only, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of how she'd look in a bikini.

Her bubble burst with the same speed that it had taken shape.

The blonde finally reached Ash at the top of the stairs. Wrapping herself around Ash, she put a lip-lock on the brunette like the wife of a sailor whose ship had just come home from a very lengthy tour of duty.

------

Have no fear. Spashley always prevails...


	7. Chapter 7

So, I first want to say thank you so much for Chapter 6 reviews!

I was so disappointed on my last update for chap7 that I changed some of it. If there are any mistakes, sorry. I didn't recheck it well and I tend to have pointless mistakes.

Oh yeah and the book this is based off of is called 'Tropical Kiss'.

Anyways, Reviews please?

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Kate Leicester's assets were pretty obvious.

She had a body type of a Barbie doll. She was a natural blonde with bronze skin and deep-blue eyes. She was nineteen and going into her sophomore year at Georgetown- exactly one year behind Ashley.

Unfortunately, she also seemed smart, polite, funny and even pleasant around Spencer- despite the fact that she caught her girlfriend bringing another woman to their favorite spot. But of course, being perfect, Kate was also forgiving.

Spencer learned more about Kate than she cared to know in the span of twenty minutes. There was no avoiding it. She was stuck in her Mercedes with Kate's constant companions- Liz, Beth, and Ellie. She'd listened politely for what felt like an eternity as they drove to wherever it was they were having lunch. Kate had generously offered to switch places with Spencer. . . To give her a break from the sin.

She must had gotten some sand in her cast because the itching was worse than before. Spencer tried to stick a finger down in there. She tried the arm of her sunglasses. She even banged on the side of the cast, but nothing worked.

She didn't know why it was that anytime she was feeling a little down in the dumps, her leg would start to act up. To stop herself from going insane, Spencer clenched her hands in her lap and pressed her back against the seat.

The Mercedes was comfortable and Spencer instantly recognized it as the car that Ash sped from yesterday on their way back from the airport. But she was quickly growing tired of the not-so-subtle hints about the long-standing relationship between Kate and Ash. It didn't matter, the three friends just chatted away, coming back to the point they were trying to get across.

It was a done deal. Cased closed. The coffin securely nailed shut. Ashley Davies was off limits. Spencer got the point that she was also ready to go home. She couldn't wait until they got back to a town or anywhere she could catch a taxi back to the house.

Aruba was such a small island that her wish came true within moments. They stopped at an open-air café at a quiet intersection of a sunny little town the girls called Santa Cruz. As they piled out of the car, four other people that they knew were just getting up to leave.

Spencer tried to look interested during quick introductions in the parking lot. Two of the young's men names she didn't get. Another one was an athletic-looking guy named Aiden Dennison. There was also another woman with very short, brown, curly hair. She was introduced as Mackenzie Morgan. She had tomboyish looks and beautiful, dark olive skin. She also made a point of coming over and actually shaking Spencer's hand.

Ash disappeared to use the bathroom. A quick look around, and Spencer realized that, unlike the streets of Oranjestad, there was no steady stream of cabs going by. Seeing Mackenzie getting into a car by herself sealed her fate. She hobbled over and asked if the young woman was going anywhere near Bakval or Oranjestad. . . Or wherever she could find a cab.

"I don't have to be at work until two. I'll take you wherever you want to go," she offered.

Spencer told Ellie to pass on a message to Ash about something coming up, then got into the short, haired woman's car.

"Mac," the young woman told Spencer as soon as they were on the road. "My friends call me Mac."

"Mac. Great name," Spencer commented, relieved to be leaving the lovers and their bodyguards behind.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem," she said, looking at her carefully. "I take it your not a great fan of the Lizards?"

Spencer looked at the other girl. 'Lizards?"

"The Lizzies."

She smiled and shook her head. "I don't get it."

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth." Mac nodded back toward the restaurant. "They're all Lizzies. Liz, Beth, Ellie. All of them are named Elizabeth. So is Kate. She is Elizabeth Katherine Leicester."

"You've got to be kidding." Spencer laughed as Mac shook her head. "Do you think it's a requirement of being their friend? You have to be named Elizabeth?"

Mackenzie nodded. "That and being blonde and doing a pinkie swear that you'll always look, dress, and talk the same."

"Wow . I didn't realize how privileged I was for them letting me ride with them."

Mac looked at her seriously. "That wasn't privilege. That was a preplanned misinformation session."

"Excuse me?"

"We all knew you were coming. Ash announced it last Saturday when we all got together for lunch after windsurfing."

"What did she say about me?"

"That you're her bosses daughter and that the two of you would be living at the villa for the summer."

"Oh, great!"

"Well, the Lizards wanted to make sure they nipped in the bud any ideas you might have. I presume that you know Ash is gay."

"Yeah. It kinda came up."

"Lizzies?"

"Yep, we were driving yesterday and we ran into them."

"Mhmm. So, you're cool with it?"

"Yeah. Why shouldn't I be?"

"Well, some people would be a little freaked out if they found out they were gong to be living with a lesbian for two months."

"Oh," the blonde said. For some reason, she felt an odd sense of comfort talking to Mac. "I guess it's cause I'm gay too."

Mac pushed on the break, making the car jerk a bit.

"You're what?"

"Gay."

"No way," Mac said. "Oh my god, do you know what that means?"

"I know where you're going with this. Ash doesn't even know I'm gay." The blonde figured that Mac would think she and Ash were hooking up.

"And why not? Wait, you didn't tell her?" Mac asked, speechless. They could make such a cute couple.

Spencer told her about Jake, her parents, and the whole reason why she was here in Aruba.

"Wow. It sounds like you've been through a lot so far. But you shouldn't write Ash off just because of that. If it's the Lizzies your worried about, Ash told me she and Kate had a brief fling last fall back at L.A, and that's it. Over and out."

It surprised them both at how well they'd hot it off. Mackenzie was a straight talker and seemed to have a wisdom that Spencer didn't see in too many people. Mac promised not to speak to Ashley about Spencer being gay, even though she was against it.

"Look," Mac said, giving her a friendly smile. "You don't have to make up your mind ahead of time about what will or won't happen this summer."

"This summer?" she stammered. "I. . . I. . ."

"Look, It's okay to have feelings for her. I saw the look you gave Ash at the restaurant and had my suspicions." Mac steered around a rotary. "Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me. All I'm saying is just keep your options open and don't let the lizards intimidate you. Oh, and give Ash a chance." _You two could make a cute couple!_ she thought.

Mac worked at a sandwich and pizza shop called the Brick Oven. The open air restaurant was on the same street were all the high rise hotels were located. It was definitely in walking distance from Bakval to there. But a little to far for someone in a cast. And Mac insisted on dropping Spencer off at the villa.

All was quiet at the house. Too quiet. Spencer put away the rest of her clothes and wrestled her suitcases into her closet. She wandered around looking at things. It wasn't long though, before she decided to take Mac's offer and stop back at the Brick Oven for a late lunch.

After calling for a cab, she threw a paperback novel and a towel and sunscreen into her backpack. If it was nice there, she decided, she'd just spend the afternoon there.

The pizza shop was charming, with tables set out on a veranda facing a green landscape of Palm trees, flowers, and swimming pools of the resort hotel across the road. Spencer set at a table under an overhead fan and felt the stress of her morning begin to melt away.

Mac introduced her to the owner of the restaurant, who turned out to be Mackenzie's mother, a native Aruban with a beautiful smile and Mac's dark eyes. The three of them sat and talked for awhile until Spencer took their suggestion and walked to the beach across the street. This was the Caribbean that Spencer had always imagined. Straw umbrellas provided complete shade for those who wanted t, and the white sand beach was soft underfoot. . Vacationing families and honeymooners and people of all ages and descriptions lounged on the comfortable chairs and splashed in the water. The boats and colorful parachutes of parasailors dotting the beautiful blue-green sea just completed the picture.

As she sat down, Spencer became a believer. Aruba was beautiful.

Between the views and the book and the feeling of complete comfort, Spencer soon lost track of time. She only noticed the afternoon was slipping by when Mackenzie got off from work and came to the beach to join her some time later.

Just sitting there and talking, Spencer was amazed at how much the two had in common. They were both seventeen. Mac's father was American and, like Spencer's family, her parents were divorced. Mac rarely saw her father, especially in recent years. She'd graduated from high school on the islands at an international school already though, which gave Spencer some things to think about.

"Now that I'm looking to go to college, my dad has offered to have me come and live with him. I could

study in the United States."

"Where does he live?"

"California," she said. "In the same state as Ash."

"Are you going to do it?"

"Mac shrugged. "I don't know yet. We're kind of strangers. But it's either that or go to the university in Holland. A lot of the kids here go that route, but I'm not sure it would be right for me. I don't have family there."

"That's important to you?"

"Family is very important to Arubans. When kids grow up and get married, they almost live in houses very close to their parents. . .even if they work at the other end of the island."

Spencer told her about her friends in Cincinnati and the life she had there. Mac explained what it was like living on the island year-round, and told Spencer her feelings about having seasonal friends.

As the sun started to sink toward the horizon, the throng of people of people on the beach began to thin out, and Mac offered to go buy a couple of salads for them at a beachfront café some hundred yards away. There was a light breeze blowing now, and reggae music from a live band floated in the air from the pier just down the beach.

"Manana. . . Si. !Ti dye manana!"

The sound of the man's voce made Spencer sit up in her chair. She looked over her shoulder, and the hair on her head immediately stood up on end. The man form the airport, old porcupine butt, was talking on a pay phone that ran right in front of the hotels.

And he was looking dead at her.

Everything about the man gave her the creeps.. Spencer glanced hopefully in the direction that Mac had disappeared. There was no sign of her.

Spencer sank down in the chair as the man turned in her direction. He was still talking on the phone, and she desperately hoped he hadn't recognized her. At least the beach wasn't as deserted as the airport had been yesterday. Still, she thought she could do without listening to his hustle. He was so sketchy.

Spencer immediately pulled on her straw hat and pulled the rim down over her face. She tried to focus on the rhythm of the reggae band and not the sound of his voice.

A couple of minutes later, she felt a shadow over her and almost jumped out of her skin. Looking up, she was relieved to see Mac carrying a tray loaded with salads and drinks.

"Are you okay?"

Spencer glanced over her shoulder. Old porcupine butt was gone.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, helping Mac put the food down. "I got myself spooked over nothing."

They talked and listened to music, and Spencer watched the multi-colored lizards and the bright green iguanas sitting on the edges of the concrete paths enjoying the last of the sun's warmth.

An hour later, they were still sitting and enjoying the balmy air. Spencer was amazed that, despite the darkness, there were actually growing numbers of people going up and down a path that ran along the beach, the same path tht she'd seem porcupine butt on.

"Each of the resort hotels has a number of very nice restaurants," Mackenzie explained.

"And then, of course, there are the casinos."

"So there is a lot to do on the island?"

"Of course," Mac replied with a smile. "The national motto of Aruba is 'No worries, just parties!'"

It was 10:30pm before they decided to go. As Mackenzie drove her home, she explained that every Saturday morning, if it was breezy-which was most of the time-she windsurfed with friends. She also told Spencer that Ashley was fanatic about windsurfing too.

"You should come and watch.. It's a good time."

Spencer shook her head. "Arthur and I have some catching up to do over the weekend. Maybe next time."

As they pulled up to the villa, Spencer saw Ash's car and another one parked there. For a couple of seconds, she wondered if the car belonged to Kate, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach.

After saying goodbye, she walked through the gate into the courtyard and spotted the to people waiting for her. Both appeared to be foaming at the mouth.

Arthur and Ashley looked ticked.

Spencer decided to resort to the usual family practice. No explanations and no confrontations. She smiled, waved like nothing was wrong, and made her way into the villa.


	8. Chapter 8

Once again, ThAnK you all for your reviews last chapter!

So, this is all for chapter8. I'm so sorry it's short. But believe me, it will be worth it in the next two chapters.

Reviews, reviews, reviews...please.

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Spencer opened her eyes and tried to focus on the white phone next to her pillow. She had no idea how long it had been ringing.

She vaguely remembered thinking about calling her hometown friends last night. She must have fallen asleep she decided, as she was trying to remember if the time zones were different from here to Cincinnati.

She reached over and answered the phone, only to realize that Arthur had already answered it. He was talking to another man in a language she didn't understand. She wondered if it was Papiamento, the native Aruban language she heard old porcupine butt talking in the other night. She disconnected and looked back at the clock. It was 8:30.

Spencer considered going back to sleep, but then she heard pots and pans banging in the kitchen.

"Guess it's time to face the music," she muttered, getting up.

Looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she was amazed that in spite of the gallon of sunscreen she'd slathered on yesterday, she still showed touches of color on her face and the tops of her shoulders.

But at least it was color, not third degree burns, she reminded herself.

She was extra-careful coming out of the shower that morning. Try as she might, though, Spencer couldn't help dwelling a little on what had happened yesterday. . . And how angry Ash had looked last night.

She hadn't been able to escape completely after she was dropped off by Mackenzie. Arthur had come to her door, obviously restraining his anger. It was a good thing her did, too. Still, he told her Ash had been looking for her for most of the afternoon. Since Arthur had gotten back from work, the two of them had been looking together.

The message she had left for the older girl hadn't clearly been passed on by the Lizards. Ash had been under assumption that she'd taken the cab home. Mac hadn't even been mentioned. The rest was history.

Spencer apologized to her father. She figured she had to do the same to Ash.

The smell of real breakfast was drifting out from the kitchen by the time Spencer came out of her bedroom. Arthur appeared to be in the middle of doing three things at the same time-toasting bread, flipping pancakes, and frying bacon.

Spencer stopped as the senses triggered something from her memory. Her mother was a cereal person but Arthur liked to cook things for his daughter. She used to love it.

She cleared her throat. "Yesterday, Ash told me you're not much for eating breakfast these days."

He looked up, noticing her for the first time. "I like to save myself for special occasions."

Spencer realized this was the first time they were seeing each other in daylight. He looked good, fit, and handsome, much as she remembered him. A touch of gray colored his sideburns, but he still had a head full of dark, wavy hair. His eyes were as blue and intense as ever. Spencer looked like her mother, except for her eyes. She inherited Arthur Carlin's baby blue eyes.

He seemed to be doing some reminiscing too, as it seemed he had forgotten the current pancake on the grill.

"Do you need a hand with that?"

He looked at the pancake and flipped it. It wasn't too burned.

"Can you butter the toast?"

She nodded, approaching. "How many people are you cooking breakfast for?"

"Just the two of us."

Spencer was disappointed that Ash wasn't coming over for breakfast, but then she had remembered what Mackenzie had said about the windsurfing.

She leaned her crutches against the fridge and started helping him. They worked in silence. Spencer realized that they were away from each other for so long that there wasn't even small talk they could share.

Arthur made the effort though. "So, did you enjoy yourself yesterday?" They hadn't gotten to that last night. Spencer decided to be honest. " I did. The girl I met, Ash's friend, was

really nice."

"Mackenzie.

"Yeah. She drove me here, and then I met her later by the high-rise resorts. Her mother owns a pizza place over there."

"The Brick Oven. Yeah I know. I've stopped there a few times for takeout."

"Mac's mom said I could have a part-time job there this summer if I want," Spencer told him. "I'm going to take her up on it."

Arthur paused and looked at her for a minute. "Don't you want to wait until your leg is out of that cast?"

"No, not really. She said I could manage the cash register right now. I'll wait tables in two weeks."

"Do you still like your eggs over easy?"

Spencer nodded, relieved that he wasn't objecting her getting a job. Not that it would have really mattered.

She took out dishes and silverware and looked inside the fridge for the juice. There was quite a selection.

"You went shopping?"

"Just bare-bones stuff. There's a pad and paper on the counter. Just write down whatever you need or want. Clodilde is the housekeeper. She comes over every Monday. She takes care of shopping, too."

Spencer noticed there was some writing on the pad already. It was an address in San Nicholas.

She'd heard about San Nicholas. It was a town at the southern end of the island. Mackenzie had mentioned it and said that area was where a lot of workers at the refinery lived. She also knew there were some rough sections in that town.

"Sorry that's mine." Arthur snatched the pad off the counter and tore it off the top sheet, stuffing it into his pocket.

Spencer thought he seemed a little jumpy about the note, but she shrugged it off.

As they sat at the counter for breakfast, Arthur seemed a little preoccupied, but she decided not to hold it against him. He'd made a point about making them breakfast. She turned the gesture by trying to hold conversation while they ate.

She told him about Cincinnati and high school and how she had already been looking into some colleges. He seemed to perk up at that. He even started asking some questions about her preference of school size, locations, and majors she was thinking of taking.

He definitely looked impressed when Spencer said she was thing about majoring in engineering.

"I've always been good at math and science," she said.

"I'm not surprised, " he responded. " You got the genes for it from-"

He stopped at the telephone rang from the other side of the house.

"Sorry, the handset is in my room," she said, quickly realizing the phone Arthur used was sitting on the counter. But that wasn't the telephone that was ringing.

Arthur excused himself and headed toward his office. It was the first time she'd seen the door to the office left open. She checked the door yesterday and found it locked.

She could hear snatches of the conversation. This time, she could hear him speaking in Spanish. Three years of it in high school helped her pick up a few words here and there. Money. Next week. Meeting. Spencer looked toward the office just as Arthur closed the door. That was the end of her eavesdropping.

She looked down at the plate of food he made. They haven't even made a dent in them. It was sometime before he came out of the office. He didn't have to say anything. She saw it in his expression. He had to leave.

She decided there wasn't any point in getting upset. It was what she'd come to expect, and she would just put up with it.

For two months.


	9. Chapter 9

Here is chapter 9.

Enjoy.

Enjoy and. . . review, I appreciate them.

Oh and if theres any kind of mistake, sorry. I didnt do to well at checking this before I posted it.

------------

Ash's foot touched something as she started to unlock the guest house door. It was dark outside, so she opened the door first, dropped her duffel bag, inside, and turned on the porch light before looking.

It was a plate of cookies, wrapped in cellophane. A folded piece of paper was taped to the top. She reached down and picked up the plate. It was still warm. She smelled it. The cookies were homemade. She smiled and read the note.

_Sorry about yesterday-Spencer_

She walked across the courtyard to the villa. A single light had been left on in the kitchen. Ash immediately saw the note that was taped to the sliding glass door.

_To anyone who cares to know where I am, It's Saturday night and Mackenzie has dragged me yelling and screaming to someplace called Carlos 'n Charlie's. She tells me my appreciation of Aruba can't start until I've experienced that atmosphere. Hope to see you there. . . Whoever you are. _

She smiled at her stick-figure signature. It was a picture of a saucer-eyed girl with crutches and one leg in a cast. Ash figured the note wasn't left for Arthur.

Heading back to the guest house, she saw another note taped to one of the outdoor lounge chairs.

_Dear Neighbor,_

_I'm sorry. I'm at Carlos 'n Charlie's. I'm writing this just incase you're taking a break en route from to the and haven't seen my other notes,_

_Spencer_

_P.S. The cookies are homemade by me. Hope you like them. I almost set the kitchen on fore making them. BTW, the sketch is a self-portrait._

_P.S.S.(or is it P.P.S?.) Two full days, and I'm still not burned. A miracle. Thank you._

Ash had planned to stay home and cool it tonight. But Spencer was doing a great job at tempting her.

-------

From the outside, the place looked like a saloon you might see in the old western. Spencer paused and corrected herself. In old movies, there were never lines of people waiting to get into those places. Even though there was a porch with a handful of tables and chairs, there had to be fifty people trying to get inside Carlos 'n Charlie's.

While they were heading for the line-which moved surprisingly fast, Spencer thought-a wildly painted party bus pulled up and a crowd of young people piled off, joining them on the sidewalk. The music was blasting out the open front door.

The way Mackenzie explained it, the club served Mexican food until sometime in the evening, and then they pushed the tables and chairs to the side and then the place became one giant dance floor. That was every night. Spencer's crutches came in handy at getting sympathy from the bouncer at the door. He waved them in ahead of other waiting customers.

"They didn't card us, she told Mac as they were pushed into the loud room filled with people.

"You can get in most clubs at sixteen in Aruba." She had to yell her answer over the music in order to be heard.

Spencer looked around in amazement. A master of ceremonies in a flowered shirt was standing on a platform to their right, next to the bar, and singing into a mike while three guys with bottles balanced on their heads tried to do a kind of line dance behind him. He was encouraging the audience to sing along. Participation was not problem. . People on the dance floor, some of them standing in chairs, were singing at the top of their lungs with the music.

"I think it's safest if we move to a corner."

Spencer agreed and followed Mac through the noisy throng of revelers. As they skirted

the edge of the black-and-white checkered dance floor, her crutch landed on someone's foot. Spencer turned to apologize to the dancer, only to back into a huge table, nearly toppling a woman who was dancing on it. The woman regained her balance, luckily, but not before dumping half of a margaritas top of a bald guys head, standing beside the table. The drenched guy started yelling, the woman started yelling back, and Spencer clutched her crutches to her side and scrambled after Mackenzie.

"I think you almost got caught in the middle of a brawl," Mac shouted, looking back a the dance floor as Spencer caught up to her.

"I think I started it."

Mac just grinned as if she didn't believe her.

Just then, a middle-aged couple got up from a table in the corner, and Mac grabbed the table.

"Is it always this crazy?" Spencer asked, leaning her crutches against the wall.

Mac leaned over and yelled in her ear. "Actually, this is the quiet part of the night. Wait till later!"

Spencer sat on a high stool across from Mac and looked around with interest. The brawl she'd started was over. The bald guy was nowhere to be seen, but the same woman was dancing on that table again. She of course had a new margarita in her hand.

Spencer had never been clubbing in a bar like this one before. People continued to stream in, and she looked up in he glassed-in booth above and to one side of the door. She hadn't noticed it when they'd come in, and she watched the DJ flip though the records.

There was so much to see. Every inch of the walls were covered with framed 1950's photographs of people standing next to huge fish, posters of old advertisements for Mexico and Cuba, and funny bumper stickers. The entire place was vibrating to the music.

A shrill whistle made her jump up in her seat. Looking around, she realized whistling was how the waiters got people to move out of their way as they went between the bar and the tables and the kitchen with orders. She shook her head in amazement at Mac.

A whistling waiter made his way to their table and took their drinking orders.

Neither of them ordered alcohol drinks. Mackenzie shouted something about being the designated driver, and Spencer yelled back that she needed her wits about her to make sure she didn't end up with another broken leg. It Didn't seem to make an difference to the waiter, and he went whistling off toward the bar.

Whole they were waiting, Spencer watched as the dancing and singing continued. A balcony ran around three sides of the place, and she could see people up there, drinking and eating and people watching. She knew there were people above them too, because a group pf girls on the dance floor was looking up and laughing shouting back and forth over the music with someone.

Spencer had never seen so many people having a good time. Maybe Mac wasn't kidding when she said Aruba loved to party.

Their drinks came, and the two of them got wrapped up in another contest that the flowered-shirt on the stage started.

------

It was a couple of sodas and another act later when she saw Mackenzie wave to someone by the door. Spencer's heart did a double-flip as she recognized who'd just arrived.

"You met Aiden yesterday, where the lizard stopped for lunch," Mac said excitedly over the noise. "I can't believe he's here."

Spencer looked again and noticed that Ash had come with a friend. The two had spotted them and were weaving their way over. She turned to Mac to ask a question and immediately noticed her friend's nervousness.

Mackenzie ran her fingers through her curls and took a long sip of her soda. She took of the little sleeveless sweater she was wearing over her sundress and immediately put it back on. She moved her purse from the table to the back of the chair, then put it back on the table.

"I think I'll go to the bathroom," she said.

Spencer put a hand on Mac's arm. "You're not going anywhere."

"But-"

"What's going on?" Spencer asked with a smile.

"Don't say anything," Mac warned as Ash and Adien arrived at the table.

Spencer turned around to greet them and bumped her crutches. That was all it took, and she watched helplessly as disaster unfolded. The crutch fell toward Ash. As the brunette tried to reach down to catch it, the crowd of dancer surged behind her, sending her forward and causing her to trip over the crutch.

Scrambling off the stool, Spencer put in Ash's path to catch her. It only made things worse though, as Ash fell into her and they both went down, taking a waitress who was passing with them.

One upended chair and a couple of pictures knocked off the wall. Thankfully, the waitresses chair had been empty. Spencer was the only one who actually hit the floor, landing solidly on her butt with Ash on top of her.

Immediately, Ash was up on her feet and bending over the blonde with Aiden and Mac looking on. Before pulling her up, she felt her arm and her leg, making sure she was okay. Spencer was more embarrassed than anything, though their little tumble wasn't spectacular enough to attract attention beyond the closes tables. The music continued and the people who witnessed this scenario turned around and continued to do whatever they were primarily doing.

Before Spencer could bend down and get her crutches, Ash was already picking them up.

"Theses could be considered weapons of mass destruction," Ash yelled to her before placing them securely in the corner.

"Twelve days and I'm burning them."

"I want to help. I think I should be the torch bearer."

"You've got the job," she said with a smile.

Ash ushered her back onto her stool, and she was introduced again to Aiden Dennison. With the noise level as it was, there wasn't much opportunity for conversation across the table. Aiden left the table and came back in a minute carrying two more stools he'd stolen from somewhere. He sat his close to Mackenzie's. She seemed flustered, but happy.

Ash dragged her seat next to Spencer's. She said something that the blonde didn't hear. Ash bent her head close to the other girl's ear.

"What are you drinking?"

Her hair was wet. The clean scent of her Apple-cinnamon shampoo(yes, specially mad ein Aruba) mingled with her spicy fragrance. She didn't think she smelt anything so wonderful. Ash had on some dark blue skinny jeans with a bohemian style layered cami and beige sandals.. He hair was down and she was looking as exotic as she smelled.

"Soda," she managed to say.

"Not a drinker?

She shrugged. "I can try things at home, but I don't like to drink."

Ash didn't hear her. "What?"

Spencer put her mouth close to the other girls ear. "I'm getting into enough trouble without it. How about you?"

The brunette's arm looped over her shoulder, and she kept her close as she turned to look at the blonde. "I'm not a big drinker. No bingeing. Don't believe in it. But I'll have a beer or two."

Their faces were so close, their foreheads were practically brushing. Within moments the music, the crowds, even their friends across the table . . None of them existed for Spencer. It was just the two of them, and she just wanted to be lost in this moment forever.

"Thank you for the cookies."

"Sorry about yesterday," she said in answer.

"You shouldn't have run off like that."

"I know," she murmured. "I just have this thing about not wanting to be in the way," Spencer admitted.

"The fifth wheel thing."

She nodded.

"Well you weren't. Kate and I are not-"

"You don't have to explain."

"Yeah, I do." Her hazel eyes fixed on blue ones. "We wne out a handful of times last year. It didn't work out. She's ben after me to try again this summer. But Im not interested."

Spencer was thrilled but tried to keep her face calm. "She's really beautiful," she said, for lack of something better to say.

"I guess. But she's. . ." She shrugged. "I don't know, she's like something you see in a jewelry store display case. It might look really good under the glass, but once it's out in the open and you get a closer look, it's not quite the same."

Spencer knew how she herself would look under close scrutiny. And it wasn't too good.

Mackenzie and Aiden moved. Spencer saw her friend motion toward the dance floor. The emcee in the flowered shirt was taking a break.

A slower dance song came on, and people were pairing up.

"Is Aiden a good guy?" she asked Ash.

She nodded. " Ii only met him this year. He's a really good windsurfer."

"I mean, out of the display case."

Ash smiled. "You looking after Mackenzie's interests?"

"Maybe," she replied. "I like her. She has a lot going for her. When it comes to men, I'm

not so sure she's as aware as most people."

"Elaborate."

"Well, most women seem to fall for the wrong guys and-"

"They do?"

"Yeah. So they end up giving up all of their goals just to-"

"All of their goals?"

"Yes. Men can be so controlling."

"_You_ can be controlling too."

"Must we always do this?" the blonde grinned.

"I think so," the brunettes smiled.

"Oh well, back to Aiden. . ."

"He's actually from California like me. Goes to school oat UCLA. Engineering major. A year older than me. Has a job here or the summer, working in construcrtion. As far as I know, no girlfriends. We both arrived on the island about the same time three weeks ago."

"Does he like Mackenzie?"

Ash glanced at the dance floor ad smiled. "I don't know. You tell me."

She followed the direction of the older girl's gaze. Aiden and Mackenzie were wrapped in a tight embrace. Her head was resting on his shoulder. His arms had a tight lock on her.

"I'd say he may be good for her."

Ash seemed amused by her comment. " This side of you I didn't see the first day."

"I'm starting to feel comfortable, so watch out. You never know which side of me comes out when."

"I can't wait." Ash stood up, tugging on the blondes hand."

"Where are we going?"

"The dance floor."

"With this?" she asked, pointing to her cast.

Ash nodded. I'm feeling a little good, myself. Thought I'd show it, if you don't mind."

Nothing could have shut Spencer's mouth more effectively that the other girl's words.

She stood up, and ash shook her head when she tried to reach for the crutches.

"You don't need them, you've got me."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10, yay!

Big thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far. I appreciate every one of them.

Okay, drum roll please...

----------

It felt completely normal to get up on Sunday and find Arthur gone again. Nothing could possibly make her feel bad this morning.

She didn't bother to take a shower, but pulled on a thin bathrobe over the t-shirt she used as a nightgown. Taking her crutches, she went to the kitchen. An note form her father-with a cell phone on top of it-sat on the counter.

_I'll be back in a couple of hours, and the phone is yours_, the note read.

"A couple of hours. . . When?" she asked loudly, glancing at the clock on the wall.. It was 9:10.

She picked up the cell. It was a flip phone. Much fancier than the one she used back in Cincinnati. Spencer wondered of she could take it with her after the summer was over.

As she was looking at it, a phone stared ringing in the house. She quickly realized it coming from Arthur's office. After the second ring, she decided to go answer it and made her way to the door. It was locked.

The ringing stopped. She tested the door again. It wouldn't budge. She hadn't really looked at it before, but the lock on this door was much different than the other locks in the house. It was deadbolt lock that obviously needed a key. But there was also a security keypad.

"Ooooh," she murmured, "a secret chamber."

A sharp knock on the sliding glass door made Spencer practically jump out of her skin. She whirled around and saw Ash standing on the veranda.

For a brief couple of seconds, she panicked about the way she was dressed. But she figured Ash had already seen her standing there, so there was not much of a point in hiding. She never felt this self-conscious around anyone before. And tingly. She went to open the door for the taller girl.

"Good morning," Spencer said shyly.

The brunette answered her greeting by leaning down and brushing a light kiss on her check.

The blood rushed to her face. She quickly went toward the kitchen, hoping Ash wouldn't notice. Of course, she had to stumble over one of the high chairs by the counter. She recovered though, somewhat gracefully.

Last night had been a dream. Spencer didn't know how long they danced in that place. She'd been floating for most of it.

After she had broken her promise, and told Ash the undeniable truth of her sexual orientation, the brunette looked at her quizzically. Then, her eyes went wide and a huge grin spread her entire face. Ash didn't ask any questions on why the blonde didn't tell her before. She was to thrilled to anyway, plus she didn't want to ruin the moment. So, they danced on in there picture perfect world.

Mac's curfew was midnight, thought, so they'd all left together in time for her to get home. Aiden had gone with Mac, and Ash had taken Spencer.

Driving back, Ash turned on the radio. They'd wrestled playfully over the choice of stations, but Spencer was preoccupied. She didn't know what would happen when they arrived at the villa. She didn't know if Ash would kiss her or not. She knew she wanted her to.

The decision had been taken out of their hands, though, when they found her father waiting for them in the courtyard.

"Did you sleep well?" Ash asked now.

Too well," she said, turning to look at the brunette across the counter. She put her crutches next to the fridge. "We have more options for breakfast than just cereal this morning. Arthur went shopping."

Ash was looking at her that way again. Spencer knew she hadn't left a button undone. Yesterday, at the club, telling Ash those few simply words had practically opened the door for Ash to make a move on her. She now felt soft and warm all over.

"I'm pretty good at making eggs," the blonde offered.

"Sounds good, I'll help." She came around the counter, but then paused as her ankle came in contact with one of the crutches. "Eleven days left, hallelujah."

Ash like eggs over easy too, so that made it simple. They divided the jobs. Ash set the plates out and made toast while Spencer cooked the eggs.

The area behind the counter was tight, and they kept bumping into each other. Every time Ash moved, the blonde was aware of her presence. It was all she could do to keep from burning the eggs.

It was after one of those collisions, as they were bowing and apologizing, that Spencer saw the other girl pause. The look was there again, that sharp-edged glint of desire in her eyes. Spencer glanced down. Her robe had fallen open, and Ash was looking at the t-shirt she was wearing. Her underwear was just visible beneath the hem of it.

She closed the front of the robe and tightened the belt. "Sorry. I should have taken a shower and changed. I wasn't expecting-"

Ash kissed her. A soft kiss on the lips that teased her with the promise of more. A lot more.

"Around me, you can dress like this anytime."

Spencer restrained herself from attacking the other girl right there. This was all new to her. Actually wanting someone to touch her, kiss her. It had never been like that with her ex-boyfriend. She'd always looked for reasons not to be alone with him. She'd used every excuse she could think of to keep him from getting too touchy-feely. That was when he called her incapable of showing affection.

It wasn't true. She now realized that the problem wasn't her, it was her ex. It was boys, period. She wanted girls. She wanted Ash.

"Oh no, no! The eggs!" She reached for the frying pan with her bare hand and immediately realized her mistake. The pan was hot as hell. Ash was right behind her with a potholders as jerked her hand of the iron handle. Ash took the pan off the stove. And flipped the eggs onto the toast she laid on the plates.

"Impressive," Spencer said, putting her burned fingers to her mouth. "You've done this before."

"Let me see your hand."

"It's no big deal." She held back her hand.

"Spencer," Ash said in a more authorities voice. "Let me see what you did to your hand."

"It's fine. See? Nothing." Like Pinocchio's nose, the blisters on the red skin grew as they looked at it.

"Come with me." The brunette ordered, dragging the younger girl toward the door.

"Wait a minute. The eggs are getting cold." She planted her feet. "Seriously, I can't go outside looking like this."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't"

The blonde gasped when Ash lifted her by the waist and carried her to the sliding glass door. Ash opened the door with one hand, and before she knew it, they were outside.

"You're being a bully." Her feet touched the ground by the tables ad chairs in the courtyard.

"You asked for it. Now sit."

"Seriously it's fine."

Ash pulled up a chair behind Spencer and pushed her down onto the seat.

As son as she bent down over the large plants and broke off a leaf, the blonde knew what the other girl was doing. "Aloe?"

"Yup."

"You could have asked nicer. I would have walked out here by myself."

Ash smiled and crouched down before her. "Now what would have been the fun in that? Give me your hand."

She put her hand on her knee and watched Ash split open the fat leaf she'd taken from the plant. Aruba was covered with aloe plants. She remembered reading somewhere that at the beginning of the century, Aruba was largest and biggest exporter of Aloe in the world. A picture of the plant was on the national coat of arms- or maybe it was their flag.

Either way, it was important.

The liquid inside was clear and goosy, almost like gel. But when Ash put it on, it felt cool on the blonde's skin, and the burning stopped immediately. Then she caught a whiff of it.

"This is foul."

"No, it's not."

"It's gross. Seriously, I have to wash it off."

She tried to get to her feet. Ash put both hands on her shoulders, keeping her down.

"Don't be a baby."

"I'm not. But it smells horrible. No self-respecting person would want to get within a

hundred yards of me."

"It's not horrible." To prove her pinot, she leaned toward the blonde, but she didn't smell her. Instead, she kissed her. Again. And again. Pecking little kisses on her lips.

It felt so right. Spencer's arms wrapped around the other girl's neck. She was lost in the moment. In the taste of her. In the smell of her. In the feel of her. Her mind emptied of everything that didn't scream Ash.

Unfortunately, the brunette pulled away from the kiss. Spence felt kind of dazed, wanting more. Ash took her hands from around her neck and put them in the blonde's lap. Perplexed, blue eyes looked into hazel ones. Ash leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"I just heard your father's car pull up into the yard."

Spencer bit her lip to hide a smile and closed the robe tighter on her chest before standing up. She kissed Ashley quickly on the lips and they made their way back inside.

The whole thing was pretty amusing. Yesterday, she was complaining about Arthur was away too much. Today, she wished he would have taken his time getting home.

Although, she was looking forward to giving those eggs another try. For the three of them.


	11. Chapter 11

Here is all of chapter 11. Tomorrow, chapter 12 should be up and believe me, it's gonna be good!

I'm also thinking of posting my best review from the current chap on the followin chapter...maybe sometime around chapter 13 or 14.

Thanks so much for all of the reviews for chapter 10.

Now for chap12, reviews please? They inspire me to type...

Oh and sorry of there are any grammer mistakes...

-----

Spencer's schedule was ideal. She would be working the cash register from approximately 10:00 to 5:00, four days a week, and Mackenzie's mother side she had the option of working more days of the week as the summer progressed. Mac's schedule was about the same, which suited them just fine.

Spencer's new friend had been brought up with the school of thought that you had to earn money before you could spend it. As a result, she was not one for shopping sprees or running a credit card balance to the max. Spencer admired that.

Monday night, Spencer was surprised when her father arrived early enough to take her out for dinner to a French restaurant near the hospital. She saw Ash only in passing when they got home.

Tuesday played out much the same. This time, Arthur took her out to an Argentinean steak place in Orajenstad. The restaurant was packed, but they had a table waiting for them. The food was, but the proportions were gigantic. They came back home with enough left over to last them for a week. There was no sign of life in the guesthouse.

Spencer really missed seeing Ash, but it seemed that she and her father were finally breaking down the wall of ice between them. As she lay in bed, she thought about Arthur. Their dinners were filled with conversation, and this surprised her. He appeared to be honestly interested in in everything she did back in Cincinnati, and even asked a lot of questions about Paula and her new husband. Spencer was mature enough not to harbor any romantic thoughts the two ex's still carried. She understood her father's interest was simply curiosity.

Wednesday morning, Spencer woke up to an empty house. Outside her window, two annoying birds were singing arias to each other.

"Okay. . . Okay.," she murmured. "I'm up."

Coming out of the bathroom, she left her crutches by her bed and started toward the kitchen. On days like this, Spencer was impatient to have her cast off. For her first time since breaking her leg, she really wanted to try so many things. Now, she was counting the days until she'd get the darned thing off. So different than when she was in Cincinnati. Thinking back now, shed just accepted the cast as an inevitable part of her life.

Spencer felt different here. There were so many things to do. Places to go. People to meet. But-what to wear?

_In Aruba_, she thought, _you never see or hear weather reports_.

"Of course not genius," she muttered. "The weather's always the same." Crossing the open area towards the kitchen, a door at the end of the hallway caught her eye. The front door, she never used it. Going down the hall, she pulled the door open and stepped out.

There was a small veranda and a path leading to another gate to the street. The path was narrow and hemmed in on either side with green shrubs filled with yellow flowers. Six colorful little lizards and two iguanas were sitting on the path, eyeing her.

"Move along, you!" As she moved to shoo them off, she heard the door click shut behind her.

"Oh great!" She tried the handle, but she already knew it would be locked.

No crutches, deserted in only a long t-shirt that ended mid-thigh, she made her way to the gate and peeked out at the street. It was deserted.

"Thanks god for small favors."

Taking a deep breath, she limped as quickly as she could along the fence. Halfway to the gate, she saw a small landscaping truck filled with laborers coming down the street. The truck came rumbling just as soon as she got into the courtyard, and Spencer slipped inside to the sounds of whistles and good-natured laughter behind her. In moments, the street was quiet again.

"Great, Spencer," she said, her back to the gate. "Put on a show why don't you?"

She made her way to the sliding glass door. Locked. She looked around the veranda. There was a thousand places a key could be hidden, but Spencer didn't even know if Arthur tucked one away out here in case of emergencies. She considered going to one of the neighbors houses and asking to use a phone. She hadn't met any of them, and she looked at her reflection in the glass door. She wasn't really dressed for socializing.

Mac wouldn't be coming by to pick her up either. She told Spencer the day before that she had a doctor's appointment.

Spencer tried the windows facing the courtyard. They were all locked. She wasn't going to venture out onto the street again, that was for sure.

She looked across at the guesthouse. It was along shot, but she didn't have many other choices. She hobbled over to Ash's place. The door was bolted. Walking around the building, she spotted another window overlooking the courtyard. Another step and Spencer could see it was unlocked.

To avoid getting cut, she had to work her way very carefully between a couple of giant aloe bushes. As she pushed a large spike of the plant aside, she almost placed her bare foot on the tail of a two-foot-long iguana. The bright green lizard merely blinked at her and ambled off.

"Well, excuse me," she said to the retreating creature.

When she reached the window, she first pressed her face against the glass. It was her bedroom.

"Figures."

The bottom of the window was about chest high, and it stuck a little when she tried to push it up. A few huffs and puffs, and she knew it was this way from the humidity. She gave it one shove, though, and was stunned when it suddenly shot up.

"Well that wasn't so tough," she said peering inside.

Ash's bed was made and, with the exception of a t-shirt and some shorts on a chair, everything looked pretty neat. Her whole room was made up of doens of shades of blue. Her queen-size bed, walls, and furniture. There wasn't mush of anything in her room except she had lots of picture frames on her wall, the floor, and, a picture on her nightstand. There were pictures of random things like the ocean, autumn trees, two girls holding hands, and some revolutionary-type photos. On the nightstand was where she also spotted the phone. There was no way Spencer could reach it, though, where she was standing.

There was only one thing to do.

Spencer studied the size of the opening and decided it was smaller that the windows they had back in Cincinnati. She thought she could pass through it, though.

Standing on her cast, she tried to put her good leg in first. A couple of minutes of struggling sent home the message that either the window was about an inch too high or she was as stiff as a two-by-four. For some reason, she just couldn't get her legs to split the 180 degrees she needed them to go.

Going in headfirst seemed to be the only viable option. Spencer looked around her again, peering over the fence and hoping for some busybody neighbor that might be going by. Police cruiser would be nice, even. Maybe some good citizen walking by who might see it as their civic duty to call into the authorities and report a breaking and entering in progress.

No such luck. The people were just too trusting here.

"I'm going in," she whispered. Both hands went in first, and her head followed. Pulling herself up, she was soon hanging half in and half out. Just as her fingers touched the tiled floor, she started sliding forward on her stomach. She definitely didn't have the flexibility of a gymnast, but she was proud of her snake impression. Her butt cleared. Walking forward on her hands, she cleared her thighs.

Her ankle only tapped the open window. It was the gentlest of taps, but it was all that was needed.

The window came down like a guillotine. She was stuck.

Spencer let out a loud profanity and looked over her shoulder. The window had come down on the backs of her knees, just above the cast, trapping her.

She couldn't believe it. There she was, suspended from the window, balancing her upper body on her hands. She couldn't have put herself in a more awkward position if she tried.

"Don't panic," she told herself. "Breathe. You can do without an asthma attack right

now."

Spencer lowered herself onto her elbows. That was as far as she could go, as she was nearly upside down. There was no way she could turn around. The good news was that if the window gave out, the fall wasn't far enough to break another bone.

She tried to work her good leg through, but the cast took up too much space. There was no way. Next, she tried to push up the window with the back of her leg. That was a joke.

She banged her head a couple of times on the floor. She'd done it again. She got herself into another impossible position.

Spencer sighed. "Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help," she muttered.

She wasn't going to be stuck like this all day. She looked around the floor. A pair of sneaker vans and flip-flops were under the bed. Reaching as far as she could, she managed to pull the vans to her. She pulled them aside, deciding it wouldn't make her feel any better to throw them at anything.

Her back was already aching. She moved her weight to one elbow and looked over her shoulder at the bedside table. Everything looked so giant, so out of her reach. She now understood the perspective of a mouse. Or a lizard.

Spencer shrugged, looking around for any colorful creatures that might be hiding. She hadn't seen any indoors yet, but you never know.

Thinking from that perspective actually helped.

Almost immediately, Spencer saw the phone wire coming out of the wall beneath the bed. A bundle of it was bunched up and secured with a tie wrap. From there it ran up to the table and the phone.

She stretched as far as she could with one of the vans, but couldn't quite reach the phone line. Stuffing one sneaker inside the other, she tried again. The extension worked, and Spencer pulled the bunched wire within her reach. Once she had it, the rest was easy. She tugged on the wire until the phone crashed onto the floor and she yanked it over to her.

"A dial tone. Thank god," Spenceer breathed as she put the handset to her ear. Wracking her brain, she remembered her father's work number. He only recited the number once to her, but she was never happier that she had good memory.

Taking a coulpe of deep breaths, Spencer dialed the number. It was his direct line. He sounded busy, but she could tell he was listening attentively when she explained she locked herself out of the house. She kept her voice calm. She didn't think there was an point in mentioning the details of how and where she was stuck. She did mention, though, that she was able to get into Ash's house and immediately wished she'd called Ash instaed of her dad. No way in the world did she think he would be there anytime soon. If only she had Ash's number.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 13 up and runnin'!

Enjoy!

-------------

Less then a week ago, Ash had been pretty annoyed that Arthur Carlin hadn't wanted to spend any time with his daughter. Today, however, she had no problem taking a couple of hours off of work to help Spencer get back into the villa.

Ash knew Carlin was working at it. as much as the young woman missed not having any time with Spence, she understood this was probably the last chance these two might have to build any kind of father-daughter relationship.

She was in Bakval in less than twenty minutes. Coming in through the courtyard, she saw no sign of her. It surprised her a little but she figured the blonde was reading or watching TV in the guesthouse.

Aruba was a hundred times safer than D.C., but habit made her lock the front door of the guesthouse. Ash knew exactly how Spencer was able to get inside the cottage. She hated sleeping with the air-conditioning on, so she always left the window open at night. She closed it every morning but, probably never locked it.

Ash unlocked the door and went in.

"Hello? Spencer?"

"I need help."

_Deja vu all over again_, the brunette thought.

Dropping her keys on a little table by the door, she walked toward the bedroom.

"Spencer?"

"In here."

"What are you doing?"

"Stop asking questions. Just get in here and help me."

"You're not naked are you?"

"Very funny. . ."

"Because, It's not like I haven't seen you naked before… all hot and wet. . . Glistening, I was so turned on that day"

_"ASHLEY!"_

Ash smiled. She pushed the door open slowly, still not knowing what to expect. The first thing Ash saw was the blonde's butt in the air. Her boy shorts(underwear) had the Cincinnati reds logo on each cheek. She was dangling upside down from the window, her legs caught by the sash. The rest of her disappeared behind the bed. She walked around and stared in disbelief, trying all the while to hold back her laughter.

Spencer's shirt had bunched around her chest. Most of her back was exposed. It was a very nice back. And beautiful legs. The brunette really liked the shape of her ass to. She was hot, no doubt about it. There was only one thing about her that she didn't like.

"I don't approve of your choice of baseball teams."

Spencer picked her head up, and the brunette couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. She'd used shoelaces from the other girls vans to hold together a couple dozen braids she'd woven in her hair. She was scowling at the older girl fiercely.

Ash tried to look serious. "Spencer, those are my running shoes, and all though I clean them weekly, do you know where those shoelaces have been?"

Ash was lucky she was out of the blonde's reach or she would have got hit by a flying shoe.

Spencer's neck ached when she looked up. Her back was frozen from being in this position, and Ash was totally entertained.

"Are you going to help me out of this or not?

"Not before I take some photos for the album. . . And the internet."

Spencer winged another one of Ash's shoelace-less sneakers at her. Unfortunately, she missed again.

"Ashley Davies, if you don't get me out of this window _this_ minute. . .!"

Ash was still smiling as she came close. "Yeah? What?"

"You just wait."

"I'm real scared," she said, teasingly.

"_Ash!"_

"Hold on, hold on. I'm doing it." Putting one hand on the back of her thighs, Ash carefully opened the window with the other. Her toned softened. "It's going to hurt getting down."

Spencer's back felt like it was permanently molded into the arch position. And when Ash started lowering her legs, it hurt a lot. Ash was right there though, crouched on the floor next to her, massaging her lower back.

"Stay there. Try to stretch it slowly."

Spencer pressed her cheek against the tiled floor and pulled her knees slowly into her chest.

"I can't believe I did this. What an idiot."

Ash lifted the braids off her face. Some of them came out of the shoelace knot. She smiled down at the younger girl. "When you said you were accident prone, you weren't kidding were you?"

She shook her head. "Still having fun at my expense, huh?"

Ash put her hands up in self defense and sat on the floor. "I'm not, really."

The smile reached the brunettes eyes. She was lying. But Spencer was too happy to be released from her mid evil torture rack to complain too much. She knew she must have presented quite a picture.

Why did my father have to send you?"

Ash feigned offense. "You're not happy to see me? I'm happy to see _you_," she said in a light tone.

Spencer shook her head at the other girl, like she didn't believe a word she said. She sat up, ad all the blood drained from her head.

"Here, why don't you lean against me?" Ash said, serious now. "Take your time getting up."

Spencer really looked at her. Ash had on a striped blue and green women's tailored style dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, light blue skinny jeans and bright red pumps. Her hair was pulled up in a nice ponytail. As always, she looked and smelled wonderful. Her tan was nice and body. . .god only knows what wonders it must do. Spencer didn't even want to think of how she looked, herself. And her hair! At least she had a good excuse. Braiding it had kept her same while she'd been waiting.

Ash scooted around her and put an arm around her waist, pulling the blonde up on the bed back against her chest. Ash was laying against her bed post.

"Isn't that better?"

_It's perfect_, Spencer agreed, but she found her voice gone. The brunette had that effect on her. Ash made her think of doing things she never done before. Spencer turned her head around and gave Ash a quick peck on the cheek. "What do you have against the Cincinnati Reds?"

"I'm an angels fan."

"Too bad. And here, I thought I liked you."

Ash's other hand slid across her stomach as she growled in the blonde's ear. "Are you saying you _don't _like me?"

"That's the problem." She half turned in the older girl's arms and looked into her hazel eyes. "Despite your teasing, and being as slow as molasses in coming to my rescue, _and_ the fact that you are so foolish choice in baseball teams. . .I like you a lot."

It was inevitable. Ash pushed her braids out of her face, and kissed her.

This time was different than the last time. Spencer knew what to expect. She knew what she wanted. Ash tasted like mint and smelled like spice. Such an exotic combination. As their mouths danced, she felt herself growing breathless. She threaded her fingers into the brunettes hair, encouraging her to deepen the kiss. When Ash slid her hand onto her breast, though, the blonde caught her wrist and tore her mouth free.

"Don't Ash, not yet," Spencer sighed. I haven't went that far yet. Not with a boy, and especially not with a girl. It's all to new for me." She started blushing lightly and cast her eyes downward.

Ash sat still for a moment, her forehead resting against the blondes for a couple of seconds. Then Ash caressed her hair, placed a kiss on the bridge of her nose. She cupped the blondes face and looked into her deep blue eyes.

"You know I like you, Spencer. I'm. . .very attracted to you. And you're right. This situation is way to comfortable. It's too easy for us to get carried away. I know that."

She nodded.

"We can take it slower. Any way you want to go. Whatever speed. Remember though," Ash smirked. "I'm just a horny, Spencer-craved lesbian."

Spencer was laughing like a madman. "I figured," the blonde replied. She didn't want to be a tease. "Ash, I feel more comfortable with you than anyone else I've met in a long time, maybe ever. But it's only been six days."

"Not six days. Fifteen years. You cast your spell on me that long ago."

Spencer smiled. "That skinny dipping did it, huh?"

"Damn right. But of course, the hair was what knocked me off my feet today." She raised the shoelaces and looked critically at her braiding job.

"You're making fun of me again."

"Me? Never."

------

They lied down on Ash's bed for about a half hour. All was silent, but not the awkward kind. It was a peaceful type of quietness. They were simply enjoying each others company. Ash was spooning Spencer and every now and then, she would kiss the younger girl's shoulder, or hair, anywhere that was Spencer.

"Spence? Spencer? You awake?"

"Mhmm"

Ash got up, pulling the other girl to her feet.

Spencer truly appreciated what Ash was doing for her. Giving her the choice. Not getting mad and walking out. . .the way Jack did.

It was an impulsive gesture, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around the slim brunette and gave her an affectionate hug. "Thank you."

Ash returned the hug, molding them together. "But I cant do it alone. You have to help."

Spencer kissed her lips and pressed her palms into the older girl's chest. She looked into her hazel eyes. God, they were so exotic. "How?"

As shook her head and smiled. "You don't even realize it Spencer, but you're incredibly hot."

"I am not," she said with a laugh.

"Don't argue, just take notes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Number one, no standing around naked in your bathroom and asking me to come in."

"I didn't do that on purpose!" Spencer started to explain, but then decided against it. "Deal."

"No walking around the villa in a skimpy t-shirt and boy shorts."

"I was wearing a robe," she said in her own defense.

Ash gave her the look again.

"Fine, fine. I'll wear my nun's habit when I know you're coming over."

"And no climbing through the window of my bedroom. You can use the door."

Spencer lightly punched her in the shoulder, but didn't move out of the circle of her arms. "You're making it sound as if I had an ulterior motive."

"The problem is, whatever motive you had, I'm happy to buy into it. So if you want me to keep my hands to myself, don't do it."

"Anything else, mighty lawgiver?"

Ash nodded. "The hair. The new style really does it for me. Especially the shoelaces. There's something very raw and primitive about it. It makes me want to-"

'That's it. You've really lost it. It must be too much Aruban sun. I knew it gave you such an amazing tan, but I never thought it caused brain damage." She took Ash by the arm and started toward the door. "By the way, you better have a key to the villa because I have to get ready to go to work. I'm already late."

"And if I don't have a key?" Ash raised one eyebrow.

"Its on our key chain. I've seen it." She grabbed the keys by the door and stepped out into the courtyard. She pointed to the two likely candidates. "Its one of these two."

"How about if neither one works?"

Ash was daring her, teasing. She stood, facing the brunette on the brick pathway, meeting the other girls challenge. She leaned in close to Ash and stood on her tip toes to where their noses touched. "Then I guess all bets will be off. I'll have to spend the rest of the summer in the guesthouse looking like this."

Spencer shrieked as the taller girl snatched the keys out of her hand and threw them over her shoulder.

Ash smirked. "You're on."

--------

You like?

Or not?

...Review please...smiles


	13. Chapter 13

Well here is all of chapter 13.

Thankyou for all the reviews from the last chapter!

---------

It took some prodding, but Spencer convinced Ash to wait around until she got ready so she could drop her off at the restaurant.

The incident at home was not easy to shake off though. Sitting on a stool at the cash register, she could feel Ash's strong arms around her. She could still feel her hand around her waist. The morning passed in a kind of haze. Spencer handed up checks and counted out change and ran credit cards through, but all the while her mind kept drifting back to that little bedroom at the guesthouse.

Mac arrived at work around noon, and right away, Spencer knew there was something on her friend's mind. Around 2:30, the restaurant emptied, so the two of them grabbed a couple of sodas and went to sit at one of the curbside tables.

"Can I ask you something?" Mackenzie said once they were seated.

"Of course."

"Were you ever on anything?" Mac asked in a whisper.

"You mean, drugs?" Spencer asked, a little perplexed.

"No."

"For my leg?"

Mackenzie laughed. She leaned forward and asked more quietly, "Were you on the pill, I mean, when you were with Jack?"

"Oh, birth control." Spencer tried to register if she'd ever taken it. And why Mac had a sudden interest in it.

"No."

"Then. . ." Mac hesitated. "How do you make sure. . .?"

"Well I once considered chastity belts." Spencer said confidently. "But once I tried it on, I knew I wouldn't

need it. Or maybe it was after I figured I was gay."

"Wow."

"And anyways, for them perverts out there, I still wield a mean crutch." She picked one up and waved it around. "They're multi-purpose and pretty handy."

Mac smiled. "I'm serious."

"I don't do it."

"Not yet," Spencer answered honestly.

"You've got to be tempted sometimes. I mean, isn't everyone?"

She never had been. Not seriously. Not before today.

"I suppose. I guess I always figured I'd start thinking about it when I found myself seriously tempted." Which meant, Spencer realized, she should be giving it some serious thought right about now. "But you have to understand, our circumstances are different. If I were to have sex, I wouldn't need a pill, because, well. . ."

"Yeah I know. And like you, I've never been pulled in that direction. But I've started thinking about it already. This summer."

"What? Being gay?"

"No, no…sex."

"Oh oh, you and Aiden?"

"Yeah. Since we started dating, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. And he wants to go out with me again. Friday night." Mackenzie rubbed at a nonexistent stain on a table. Here eyes were huge and full of emotion when she looked up at Spencer. "And I still can't believe it. Aiden Dennison. Ever since he arrived in Aruba, I've felt this crazy crush for him. But I didn't know if he felt the same way about me. At first, I think he just saw ma as a friend for windsurfing. But something happened this past week. It's different now. "

"That's great," Spencer replied enthusiastically.

Her friend looked doubtful. "I don't know. I mean, he has everything- looks, college, a great future, a family he loves."

Spencer put her hand on top of Mac's. "Don't sell yourself short. You have a lot going for you. You're a catch."

Mackenzie smiled in gratitude but she shook her head. "I'm just me- half a family, no awareness what so ever about style, Or what's in and what's out. I don't even know how I'm suppose to be with a guy I'm attracted to. I've never been a game player, I don't even know how to be coy. . . Or sexy, or what ever."

"Well that makes two of us then. But I think all of that is definitely overrated."

Mac smiled. "But don't you think amazing that someone like Aiden would want to go with me? I mean, look at me. I'm tall, dark, thin, flat-this is not exactly Beyonce's or Angelina's body here. And with this hair, I cant tell you how many times people have mistaken me for a boy."

"Then those people must have been blind. Aiden isn't. You're beautiful. More importantly, your genuinely a good person. That counts a heck of a lot more than the other stuff." Spencer learned forward, whispering now. "You were asking all those questions about birth control. You and Nick haven't already. . ."

Mackenzie shook he head. "Saturday night, we came close. We almost got carried away in the car when I was dropping him off. Almost. But I asked him to stop. And he did."

_Another check in the plus column for Aiden, _Spencer thought.

"He said he'd take care of things, when the time was right. When I was ready. But I can't let it go at that. I know that's not enough. So remember when I went to the doctor today? She put me on the pill."

"They won't take effect immediately. You still have to be careful," Spencer informed.

"I know. I've had plenty of sex education classes in school. . . And a few hints now and then from my mother. I know teenagers here are suppose to be miles ahead of American kids in these things," Mac said.

"But I'm not. Maybe I'm a defect, but I really didn't have anyone else that I could talk to about this except you. Well, Ashley too."

"I'm glad you did."

"So, do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Tough question, Spencer thought. Even as she sat looking at her new friend, she knew that this was one of these moments when what she said really mattered. But what did she know about it?

"Look Mac," she started. "I'm not any wiser about this stuff than you. What I focus on is keeping my life as simple as I can and protecting myself. If you think going on the pills is going to help, then I say go for it. You still need to protect yourself from STD's, but pregnancy should definitely be avoided. Does that make any sense?"

"Very."

"You just finished high school. You'll be going to college somewhere away from the island right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well that's another world out there. A world you need to be prepared for. I think you're smart for doing it. Even if it doesn't work out with Aiden, you're thinking ahead."

Mackenzie squeezed Spencer's hand. "You're right. Thanks."

Neither of them saw the silver Mercedes until it had pulled up to the curb near their table and honked its horn. The lizards were inside, looking good as always. Kate was on the passengers side in the front seat, and her window came down smoothly.

"Mac. Susan. What have you two been up to?"

"It's Spencer," Mac said, correcting her.

"Right. Didn't I say Spencer?" Kate responded innocently. "Sorry. Where have you two

been hiding?"

"We've been working," Mac said. "How about you guys?"

Kate started to tell them about the scuba diving trip they'd gone on yesterday at one of the many wrecks of the waters around Aruba. A taxi pulled up behind the Mercedes and he driver honked the horn loudly. Spencer could see the Lizards partially blocked the road. Ellie was behind the wheel, and she waved the driver to go around her. As he went around her, Spencer could see him scowling and muttering, and she thought of how an American driver would have responded. Not so nicely.

"Anyway," Kate was saying to Spencer. "Have you seen Ashley around?"

"Yeah. We live in the same villa." It didn't sound quite the way she wanted it to, but so what?

"Do you know what time she gets from work?"

Spencer shook her head. "Not really. It's different every day."

"Are her phone and answering machine working?"

Spencer didn't know about the answering machine. "I used her phone this morning."

"That's funny. . ." Kate paused, and Spencer had a pretty good idea that here might be an unanswered message.

"Do you have her work number?" Kate asked.

Spencer shook her head again. No way was she giving that up.

Another car pulled up behind the Mercedes, beeping its horn loudly. This time, Beth poked her head out the window and yelled to the driver to go around.

"Well were throwing a party t my house on Saturday night. Can you tell Ash I expect her to come around my house in the afternoon to set up?

"I'll tell her," Spencer replied, as pleasantly as she could.

"Thanks Kate said, smiling sweetly.. One of the Lizards whispered something from the backseat. "Oh and wed love to have the two of you come over, too. About eight. Bring whatever you want to drink."

"Thanks," Mac said, keeping a smile plastered on her face until the Mercedes drove away.

"There's going to be talk about us."

"Talk about what?"

"We were holding hands, and they saw it."

Mackenzie gave her a knowing nod. "I'm not girlie enough for them. They're sure I'm gay."

Spencer sat back and smiled. "So, they think you've found yourself a playmate?"

"They can think whatever they want," Mac said. "In fact, maybe it's a good thing."

"Why is that?"

"Kate didn't seem as threatened by you, incase you didn't notice. They even invited you to their party. You still better watch your back, though."

"Will you go?"

"Will you?"

Spencer thought for a couple of seconds and then shook her head. "I don't know. Last Friday, they were determined to keep me away from Ash. I don't like that."

"Things have progressed since then, haven't they? With Ash I mean."

"Somewhat." Spencer shrugged, but couldn't hold back a smile. "I'm not into any competition thing though. I cant go in there and pretend it doesn't bother me if Kate is all over her."

"Maybe Ash wont want to go."

"Maybe, but I don't really know that either. Were nowhere near where you and Aiden are.

Whatever time we've spent together has been. . . Well, coincidental, I guess. Even though we live so close, Ash is always working. And I'm still trying to patch things up with my dad."

"Still, I think you're wrong about not going to the party. You should go. Let Ash show everybody who she's interested in.

That would require serious mojo, and Spencer wasn't sure she had enough.


	14. Chapter 14

Yep. Here's 14. Sorry if it confuses people when I upload a piece of a chapter at a time. I think I'll just put it in my summary if I update a chapter.

Anyways thanks so much for all the reviews so far! They made me so happy. And I like that people are making inferences about where the story's headed.

-----

The cashier who too over for her for dinner shift was running late, so Spencer stayed at the restaurant till 7:00. Mackenzie was doing extra shift that night too, so Spencer called for a taxi to take her the embarrassingly short distance toward the villa.

Arthur and Ashley's cars were both in the driveway, and Spencer noticed the lights of the guesthouse were on as she came in through the courtyard. She thought of when the best time would be to pass on the message about Kate's party.

_Never, _Spencer answered herself. Still, she knew she would. _If _she saw Ash.

Just then, she was surprised by the feeling of someone's arms wrap around her waist. And a kiss ever so gently being placed on the back of her neck. It was a very nice surprise.

"How was your day?" The brunette asked.

"Uneventful," the younger girl replied. "When did you become so stealthy?"

"I always have been." Ashley moved the straps of Spencer's shirt and placed another kiss on the blonde's shoulder, making Spencer's body burn. "I saw you come in."

She felt the thrill ripple up her spine at the brunette's words. She was ridiculous.

"Well, I'm glad you came out to greet me." Spencer turned around in the other girl's arms and placed a kiss on her lips. She then placed her arms around the brunette's neck.

"I almost didn't once I saw those two deadly weapons you were armed with." Ash said after about a dozen more kisses. "Hey, I hear Arthur has something going on tonight. Do you want to go to dinner and a movie?"

"So, you finally ask me out on a date _after_ our first kiss. What ever happened to dinner before desert? Or was it, can't have your cake and eat it too?"

"Well, this isn't our first kiss. And besides, you know how much I have to work. But tonight I'm free. . . All night. So, how 'bout it?" Ashley mischievously raised an eyebrow.

They still hadn't moved from each others embrace. Spencer blushed. "That'd be great. What's playing? And what time?"

"I didn't know if you'd be up for it, so I haven't checked, yet."

"Do you have a number for the theater? I can call and check for us."

"Sure. Let me go look in the phone book. I'll call you in a few with the details."

They shared one last lingering kiss, then Ashley turned to go back to the guesthouse. About twenty yards away, Spencer called for her and blew her a kiss. Ashley dramatically threw her hands out, fingers open, then pulled them both to her heart. As if she desperately caught the kiss. She even went as far as falling down on one knee and lowering her head in a somberly gesture. This in turn made the blonde laugh uncontrollably.

_She is so adorable_, Spencer thought.

She heard the shower running in her fathers bathroom when she came in. She called a greeting but doubted Arthur head it. She leaned her crutches against the sofa and went to go get the pad of paper off the counter. The tip of the pencil was broken. The phone rang and she answered it. It was Ash.

"Couldn't handle not hearing my voice for five minutes?" Spencer said, smirking over the phone.

"Actually, me and Arthur had this date planned out tonight. He cancelled, you are my last resort."

Spencer visibly felt her ego deflate. "Wow, way to ruin the moment."

"What moment? Oh, you and your lame intrepidness?" Ashley teased over the phone.

"You know what. I should personally-"

"Hold that thought. I'm still looking in the phone book and you're distracting me."

Spencer huffed and decided to get a new pencil while she waited. The water in the shower had stopped running. The door to Arthur's office was open, and his briefcase was sitting on his desk. She went in, pad of paper in hand, and grabbed a pen from a cup holder on he desk. She sat down on the chair.

"Still searching?" Spencer asked over the phone.

"No. I just like having you wait on the phone for the fun of it. Because it's just so sexy and all."

"Wow. Were you being sarcastic?" Spencer asked, clearly amused.

"Sorry, it's just that this damn phone book is so big and it's taking up time from our _first_ date."

"Aww, don't worry. Remember, tonight your free. All night," Spencer said, seductively.

"Got that right. Hold on a little longer."

Spencer looked around the office, realizing this was the first time she'd been inside it. The first thing she realized was there were no windows. Other than that, the room was of average size, about the same dimensions of her bedroom. Two bookcases, one file cabinet, the desk and chair. One other chair and three large, framed Caribbean posters completed the furnishings.

Her father definitely didn't seem to go in for clutter. There were no piles of newspapers. No files or papers scattered around. The only thing that seemed to be out of place in that room, was Spencer herself.

Even the desk was pretty neat. Aside from his closed briefcase, a laptop sat on one end. She eyed that. It felt like ages since she checked her e-mail. But she didn't have time for that now. Beneath a green-shaded desk lamp, a cup holder contained an assortment of pens and pencils. There was only one framed picture peeking from behind the briefcase. She reached over to see what it was.

It was a baby picture of her. Chubby face, a big smile, only four teeth, short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Cake was smeared all over her face and clothes. Her mother had a copy of this one too. It was of Spencer's first birthday. The story behind it was instead of waiting for the cake to be cut for the guests, shed climbed onto the table and sat in the middle of it.

Spencer smiled. She remembered what Ash had told her about seeing more of her pictures. So, Athur must really have some at work too.

"Ready?" a voice over line asked.

"Shoot," she answered, putting the frame back.

Ash rattled off the number. "What ever you decide will be fine with me. There are a couple of places around the movie theater, so we can grab something to eat in town."

"Sounds great."

"I'll be over after I take a quick shower and change."

"Okay," Spencer didn't think the brunette had to. She looked and smelled good to her when they were outside.

Once they hung up, Spencer dialed the number of the theater but the line was busy. She sat back in the chair and decided to wait and try again in another minute. The middle drawer of the desk was slightly open. She noticed that there was a key that had been left in the drawer lock. Without even thinking about it, she slid the drawer open.

The drawer was neat too. But what caught her eye was a U.S. passport on the left. The gold embossed lettering on the navy blue cover gleamed in the light of the desk lamp. She was ready to slide the drawer shut when she realized the passport was sitting on top of several others.

"What the hell?" she murmured.

There were five of them in all. She picked them up and looked at the passports. All different colors. From five different countries.

Spencer glanced quickly at the door of the office. Suddenly, a sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She hesitantly opened the blue passport with the American eagle prominently displayed.

The first page contained her father's picture. But not his real name.

She stared at it in confusion. Her hands were shaking when she opened a brown colored passport. Venezuela. Arthur's picture. And again, a different name.

She quickly stacked the passports in the drawer the way she found them and closed it as her father's bedroom door opened.

"Spencer? That you?"

Her heart pounded in her chest. He hadn't told her that his office was off-limits, so she stayed where she was and pressed the REDIAL button on the phone. It was still busy but she held the phone to her ear as her father appeared in the doorway.

"Checking movie times," She said.

His hair was still wet. He was wearing a formal dress shirt and black pants with a black satin stripe down the side. Working on a bowtie, he came in the room.

She took the phone away from her ear and pressed the OFF button. "The line is busy."

"I'm sorry about abandoning you yet again."

"No problem."

He was looking at her curiously. " I found out at the last minute that I have to put in an appearance at some shindig at the Governer's Mansion.

Spencer nodded, but all the while her stomach was turning and twisting as she searched for a reasonable explanation for the passports.

He just _couldn't _be doing something illegal. The itch down her cast was back and she just couldn't do a thing about it.

"That's okay," she replied. "Things happen."

He reached over and put his briefcase on the floor. She saw his gaze make a quick sweep across the desk.

"I hope it's okay with you," he said," but I made a doctors appointment for you at the hospital on Monday. I figured it'd be good to go and meet the orthopedist a few days before they take off your cast. Just incase they need any information from Cincinnati."

"Sure. That'd be great," Spencer responded, trying to sound cheerful.

Arthur was doing responsible things. He was doing his job as a parent. The weird thing was that this hurt her even more.

What a mess, she thought. 

She didn't want to start liking him now. . .not if he was getting himself into trouble. The emotions were welling up in her eyes, and she had o put a stop to it before she embarrassed herself. She redialed the number.

"Busy again." She grabbed the piece of paper with the phone number on it and got up.

"So I guess Ash asked you about movie and dinner?"

She nodded. Spencer went by him, and he followed her out of the office.

"By the way," she asked, turning to face him. 'Why do you lock your office?"

He stared at her for a full two seconds. "Well. Work. Lots of times I bring home classified documents. So it's a security issue."

"I'm not into stealing state documents."

"I don't lock it because of you. Its because anyone could break into this place if they want to. A few flimsy window locks aren't going to keep a burglar out. I guess I just want to make it more difficult for them."

"You have something worth stealing in there?"

"No," he laughed. "I guess I'm just being cautious. But it's really just more routine."

Spencer looked at him for a long moment. If he wasn't going to tell her, then she wasn't going to ask. . . Not now anyway.

"These locks are anything but flimsy," she said, finally. "Trust me. I was on the outside, trying to get in this morning. It was impossible."

"I'm sorry about that. Maybe tomorrow we could figure out a good hiding place for a key."

She nodded again. "I think I'll go and change."

"By the way, how did I do?" he asked, meaning with his tie.

Spencer looked t his handiwork. It needed a little adjustment. She reached up to straighten it and once again a riptide of emotions started taking her under.

She hated his. She didn't want to be in the middle of trouble. She wanted him to be okay, to be doing the right thing. Maybe it was from watching too many spy movies, but she was imagining the worst possible scenarios.

Still, she loved him. He was her father. Shit. She was becoming attached again.

"You look like a hundred bucks."

"You mean a hundred florins?"

"I haven't exchanged any money yet. It seems like everyone takes the dollar."

"That's true."

He started to turn away, but then on impulse, she asked him about the passports.

"In your office, I saw-"

The knock on the glass door stopped her. He looked at her closely for a second before they both turned to the door. Arthur waved Ashley in. She was wearing a Los Angeles Angels trucker hat and baseball shirt(Spencer never saw one as skimpy as this one) over a pair of low-cut dark jeans. She also had on some red and blue stripped converse, sporting the Angels colors.

"You were saying?" Arthur was looking steadily at the blonde. "In the office, you saw what?"

"What? Oh. . .my baby picture. That one of the messy face. I didn't know you had that."

He smiled. "That's a special picture. In fact, I have another copy of it at work. It's so you. You had a knack for getting into trouble back then. If it wasn't mischief, it was always something you were getting into."

"I'm glad I grew out of that," Spencer said, casting a warning glance at Ash. It was obvious Arthur didn't know about her being stuck in the guesthouse. Ashley caught the glance and gave a bemused, innocent look back to the blonde. A smile tugging at her lips all the while. "I'll be ready in a minute."

"Were you able to get any information on the movies and times?"

"The line was busy." She tossed Ash the phone. "I have to change. I'll be right out."

"You don't have to dress too fancy." Ashley smirked.

"Don't worry, I wont. But I do have to put on something to balance out the embarrassment your wearing."

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With oatmeal on top? Wait, no... cherries!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 up and running!

How does a date go in this new Spashley setting?

Thanks for the reviews last chapter! Much appreciated...

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Spencer wore her official Cincinnati Reds game shirt over jean shorts. Leaving the house, she could se the amusement on her father's face as he watched them go. Ash waited until they were driving away from the villa before she made any comment about her choice of clothes.

"You know, I think we have to stop and buy you an Aruba t-shirt."

Spencer twisted in the seat and pointed to a Cincinnati reds logo on the back pocket of her jeans. "Did you see this?"

Hands on the wheel, Ash took a quick glance and made a face. "That's sick. I suppose you're still wearing those horrendous, boy shorts, too?"

Spencer shook her head. "No, I changed into a gray pair that I only wear for away games. I also have a matching tank top under this shirt. _And _this little border on my socks."

"What are you trying to do? Make me leave you at the theater after the movie?"

"Hey, you're the one who said I shouldn't look or dress sexy around you. I just figured I'd be safe wearing my ultimate fan uniform."

"Unfortunately, that's totally illogical."

"Don't tell me this is a turn-on for you."

She shook her head from side to side. "The problem is that I look at you and start thinking of ways to get you _out_ of those ugly clothes."

Spencer patted her bag and smiled. "Then it's a good thing I brought along my handy Red Sox bobble-head doll."

Ash was having difficulty keeping a straight face. "Which player?"

"Johnny Bench. I should tell you, though, that I really would have brought along my Adam Dunn before I left Cincinnati. But Castro will do just fine as well, if I have to fight you off."

"I love a challenge," Ashley said in a enticing manner. She swerved onto the shoulder of the road and slammed on the breaks.

"What are you doing?"

"Showing you how ineffective those Cincinnati reds players are at keeping this Angel fan from what she's been thinking about all day."

Ash leaned over and cupped the blonde's face and kissed her nose. Then she ran her tongue across the blonde's lips, slow and sexy-like. This led to a full fledge session of some of the wild and most exotic, bizarre kissing ever attempted. There was a lot of biting, licking, tonguing, and sucking on and in various parts of the mouth. Of course, it was urged on by the rivalry of baseball teams. And it damn-near left them both breathless because anything that intense was a turn on to them, sort of. Luckily, there weren't any perverts lurking around. Well, besides the two themselves.

"And what do you have to say about that?"

The blonde struggled but found her voice. "I should have waited for my Adam Dunn doll."

Ashley's laughter rang out. Throwing the car in gear, she pulled back on the road. Spencer smiled and enjoyed the tingly feeling that was running all over her body. Ash said she had been thinking about her all day.

They reached the outskirts of Oranjestad in ten minutes. The streets were just coming alive with nighttime window-shoppers, diners, and partyers.

"I ended up talking to your father so I didn't get a chance to call back. How about if we just go down there and improvise?"

"Sounds great. Whatever you want to do, Spencer said happily. She immediately grew serious. Now that Ash had mentioned her father, she saw a window of opportunity and decided to go for it. "Ash, what exactly does my father do?"

The slim brunette glanced at her curiously. "You don't know?"

"I know he's an accountant an that he works for the Department of Energy. But other than that, I really don't have a clue. What is he doing in Aruba?"

Ash explained to her about the recent acquisition by a U.S. company of Aruba's oil refinery at the southern end of the island. She said Arthur's assignment here had something to do with that.

Spencer tried to figure out how the five passports she'd seen could have anything to do with his job tracking oil imports.

Thoughts of her father as an international terrorist, preparing to sabotage the refinery, just didn't fit into her image of him. He was an accountant, for God's sake, not James Freaking Bond!

"Do you think he's happy with his job?"

"I don't know." Ash's eyes were glued to the traffic. "Why do you ask?"

"I guess I was thinking that if I had to do without him for all of theses years. I want to know if he's gotten some satisfaction out of his work."

She pulled into a parking space by the Seaport Marina. The lights from the casino beyond the boat slips reflected on the black water.

"I'm sure he did. So did my father. But I think, for some people, the excitement inevitably wears off at some point. That happened in my family. That's why my father had to try something totally new. It could be the same thing is Happening to Arthur."

Pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place. The problem was, Spencer didn't think she was going to like the picture. "What do you mean?"

Ash switched off the engine and headlights. They sat there looking at the harbor ahead of them. "I cant put my finger on it exactly, Its just. . . He doesn't like to spend a lot of time behind a desk. He is always running somewhere. There are a lot of phone calls. For an accountant, he doesn't seem so excited about crunching numbers and doing reports. His attention is somewhere else, supposedly on some project I don't know anything about."

This didn't make the blonde feel any better. Something was definitely going on.

"So should we go and see what's playing?" Ash asked her.

"Sure," Spencer said, stepping out of the car.

Ash came around and fetched her crutches from the backseat and handed them to her. "How many more days?"

"Eight." The laughter of a group of girls walking along the street reminded Spencer of what she had forgotten to tell the brunette. "Oh the Lizard stopped by the restaurant today. Kate wanted me to tell you they are having a party-"

"I already know about it. She left four phone messages and one handwritten note taped to the guesthouse door."

They walked toward the movie theater. Ash hadn't returned Kate's messages. Spencer didn't know what to say. She did know how to feel about it though. _Hell Yeah! _

"I've explained things to her over and over. The day we ran into them at the Natural Bridge, I spelled it out again on the way to the restaurant in Santa Cruz. I told her were history, but she doesn't get it."

Spencer had been dumped the day before her junior prom. But she never tried to hang onto Jack. She could see why Kate was well attracted to Ash, but attracted _and _delusional was an eerie combination.

"So, what are you going to do abut it?" Ash asked, breaking her thoughts.

"Me?"

"You," the older woman repeated.

The younger woman came to a stop in the middle of the parking lot and looked at the other girl in confusion. "Why do _I _have to do something bout it?" She asked.

"I see the determination in your face. It's like your planning how to sabotage Kate somehow."

Spencer grinned. "Report a gang of blonde Bimbettes stalking the villa?"

"That's a good start," Ash said. "But the Aruban police wont do anything about it."

"How about if I beat Kate with a crutch?"

The other woman seemed to consider that for a few seconds longer, but then shook her head. "I have a better idea."

"Oh, so Einstein speaks. I'm all ears."

Ash ignored the sarcastic remark. "We'll tell her what's going on between us."

Spencer admired the play of the wind in her hair, "Okay. But don't you think you should tell _me_ what's going on between us? I mean, when we tall Kate, we probably want to be on the same page."

Ash grinned playfully. "Lets bag the movie."

"What do you want to do?" Spencer asked.

"Let's sit and talk."

"Okay."

Ash pointed to a bench about twenty feet from them, facing the harbor. They walked over to it and sat down.

"I do expect to be fed though, before we go back."

Ash took her crutches and moved them a safe distance away. "And what if I don't?"

"Is that a threat?"

The taller girl put an arm around Spencer's shoulder and nestled the other girl against her. "No." She kissed the top of the blondes head.

A light, balmy breeze caressed her arms, and the smell of the sea and flowers mingled with Ash's exotic fragrance filled her senses. The stars were bright in the black silky sky, and the sound of steel drum music was coming from somewhere along the harbor front. She took a deep breath, wondering hoe she ever got here. . . Sitting under a tropical night sky on an island paradise with a truly amazing woman's arm around her.

Ash finally broke the comfortable silence. "Spencer, how would you describe our relationship?"

"Lets see. . .one based solidly on obligation?"

"What?"

"You've been stuck with chauffeuring me around because you work for my father."

That was last Thursday. How would you describe it, starting Friday?"

"Guilt."

Ash looked at Spencer. "How do you figure that?"

"Spencer explained. "You feel guilty because I have no tan line."

She laughed. "You are a piece of work."

"Why, thank you."

Ash lifted her chin until brown eyes were peering into blue." Are you nervous, Spencer?"

"Maybe."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a Carlin. . .and talking like this is not our strongest family trait."

"Okay then, I'll do the talking." Lights from the casino sparkled in the brunettes eyes. "I think we have something special going on between us."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. We speak the same language. That's more than I had with anybody before. I love spending time with you, talking to you, kissing you, arguing with you- especially over your complete lack of understanding about baseball teams." The brunettes thumb caressed the blonde's cheeks. "I especially like what we do _after _those arguments."

Spencer shook her head and smiled.

"So, what do you say?"

"About what?"

Ash's hand cupped the back of the younger woman's head. "Say were an item. Say you'll go out with me."

Spencer beamed and nodded. Their noses rubbed. Ash stole a peck from her lips.

"I'm not very god at sharing though," Spencer said. "You should probably know that upfront."

"I'm not, either."

"I may have to put Kate and the Lizards in their place."

"We'll do that together," she told her, stealing another peck. "My guess is we can come up with a pretty good plan."

"I'm invited to their party on Saturday. How would you like to go as my date?"

The brunette laughed. "I like your style."

And Spencer liked hers. Perching herself over the brunettes body, the blonde wrapped her arms around Ash's neck. "I like yours too." She drew her face to the brunette's and showed her.

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	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16, yay!

Oh and to all of you who think this is my storyline, it's not...unfortunately.

It was simply my idea to rewrite her story with a Spashley twist.

**Disclaimer: 'Tropical kiss' belongs to Jan Coffey... And South of Nowhere characters belongs to Tom Lynch**

Thank you for all of Chapter 15 rviews!

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Spencer figured it would be best all the way around if she just told her father about the development of her and Ash. As usual, he didn't get home until late that night, though, and only poked his head into her room long enough to say he had another last minute day trip that he had to make off the island tomorrow.

He was gone by the time she woke up the next morning.

That was fine with Spencer, though. She had a mission. She needed to find out what was going on.

She glanced out across the courtyard and the guesthouse. No sign of Ash. Spencer knew the other girl would be coming over for breakfast before going to work, so she took a quick shower and got dressed.

After their talk last night, Spencer knew they'd be walking a fine line regarding how physical their relationship would get. She was as tempted as Ash was, but they both wanted to take their time. At least, the blonde did. And that meant no temptations.

Leaving her bedroom, she noticed that the office door was locked. She wasn't discouraged, though, and decided to search Arthur's bedroom.

One thing was certain to Spencer. Paula hadn't divorced Arthur because he was a slob. Everything in the bedroom was immaculate, pretty much like the rest of the house. Of course, she knew some of this ws due to the efforts of their housekeeper, Clotilde. Spencer had met her in passing on Monday and was amazed at the whirlwind of energy the woman was.

Arthur's bedroom was larger than hers. It contained the usual assortment of furniture, bed and side tables, lamps, two bureaus, an oversized reading chair, and an armoire that she guessed housed a television.

She checked the bureaus. One was empty. She turned her attention to the other. Shirts, underwear, socks. She felt around the clothes, looking under the bottoms and at the backs of the drawers, remembering what she'd seen in movies about guns or keys being hidden there.

Nothing.

The double-wide closet was her next target. Rows of suits of jackets and pressed pants and shirts hung tidily on the metal bars. Everything was in its place.

She glanced up at the two rows of shelves above the hanging clothes. Stacked on them were an assortment of suitcases, light sweaters, and a couple of neatly folded blankets. One medium-sized file box sat on the upper shelf, and Spencer fixed her eyes on it. The top of it was slightly askew, like Arthur might have reached in there recently.

She had to see what was in it.

Spencer's fingers could barely reach it. She gently started pulling. The avalanche came without warning.

Following the mysterious box, suitcases, sweaters, blankets-and the shelves they were sitting on- all came crashing down on top of her, knocking her to the floor. Thankfully the box was light, because it hit Spencer squarely on the head before all the contents dumped on the floor around her.

Spencer stared in disbelief at hundreds of airline barf bags on her lap and on the floor.

"Are you okay?"

Startled, Spencer looked up. Ash stood in the doorway of the bedroom dressed for work. "Oh hi. When did you come in?"

"Just now. I heard the demolition crew working in here." She smiled, taking in the full extent of the disaster.

"So. . .how's it going?"

"He collects barf bags."

The brunette started laughing. "Hey, it's better than collecting Cincinnati reds memorabilia."

"That's it. You're in trouble." The blonde hauled herself to her feet and started toward him. "I'm going to give you a god bruising and put an end to all those wisecracks."

Ash met her in the middle of the bedroom and, before the younger girl could hurt her, pulled her into her arms, and sealed her lips with a kiss. The blonde leaned into her, losing herself in Ash's taste and touch. Ash's hand moved down to her back and gathered the blonde so close against her body that there wasn't a breath of air between them.

"I like this kind of bruising," Ash said softly.

"There's more where that came from." Spencer smiled, kissing her again. "Oh. . .and good morning."

"I think we need to add sundresses to the 'too hot to wear' list," the brunette said, pushing one strap of her

dress down over her shoulder and pressing her lips to her pale skin.

Never mind the dress, Ash's mouth was hot, and the blonde loved the sensation. "I'm gradually running out of clothes I can wear."

"That's the idea." Ash ran her hands down over the curve of Spencer's bottom and pulled her closer. The younger woman didn't move away. She felt a thrill race to her very center.

Ash seemed to gather her self-control, looking over at the mess.

"So what happened here?" she asked.

"The shelves attacked me."

"You probably provoked them."

"Maybe a little." She hated to have Arthur come home to this. "Will you help me fix this?"

"Of course!

Ash left her standing in the middle of the room and went to test the brackets in the closet. They looked secure. She reached for one of the shelves that had fallen down. "What were you looking for?"

Spencer contemplated telling Ash about the passports, but decided against it. She felt so horrible thinking that Arthur might be doing something wrong, committing a crime. At the same time, she didn't want to lie.

"I wanted to se what was inside this box," she said, crouching down on the floor and starting to pt all the barf bags back inside of it. "I hope he didn't have his collection organized alphabetically by airline. Hey, look. . .Flugfelag Islands Air."

"That's great. But why were you in here?"

"Curiosity, okay? I was snooping around Arthur's closet. I'm trying to. . . To understand him."

She paused with the shelf in hand. Their gazes met over the mess between them. "I know what you're going through."

Spencer doubted it, but she didn't say anything.

"You and Arthur are doing a lot better. . . and in a lot less time. . . than my dad and I did."

"When was that?"

"Six years ago. I fourteen and full of hormones and resentment and distrust. I ran him through the wringer until I smartened up."

"So you were the one who had to change?"

Ash placed one end of the shelf on the floor and leaned on the other end. "I don't know. I guess he changed, too. He wasn't only dealing with me. He was trying to kick start his marriage with my mother again. And then there was my younger brother, the know-it-all of the family. For me, I just had to accept the fact that he was back, ad this time he was going to stay. In the end, it was a heck of a lot better to have him back with us."

Spencer carefully placed the last of the barf bags in the box and put on the lid. "I don't have all that. Arthur isn't back. He doesn't care about his family. He was stuck with me this summer because of my mother." She let out a frustrated breath. "At the same time, I can see that he's trying. There are moments that I really enjoy being with him. I like hearing him laugh. Tell stories. I can see myself in his eyes. Still, it hurts because I know its for a short time. Again."

Ash left the shelf on the floor and came over and took Spencer into her arms. The darn tears were threatening to fall again. She fought them.

"Its different now when you were a kid though," Ash told her softly. "You don't need him. Yu can be friends. You can work things out on your own terms. You can enjoy the time you have with him, without worrying what might or might not happen."

"Maybe," she replied, thinking again of the passports in the desk.

"He was nervous before you got here, Spencer. But I can tell you he's very happy that you're here now. I wouldn't write home off yet. Give him a chance."

"I am," she said, wiping a runaway tear on her cheek.

"And I think he's almost at the end of these crazy hours and trips off-island too. He keeps he's in the last

throes of this project he's working on. He told me he'd have a lot more time, after he's done with it."

"What's the project?"

"You got me. But he was definite that the end's in sight." Ash cupped her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. "So hang gin there."

She nodded, resigned to squash her curiosity for now. Maybe her father _was_ doing the right thing. Maybe.

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	17. Chapter 17

Okie dokie, here is all of Chapter 17... BOOYAH!

Thankyou for the reviews for chap16!

Enjoy...

**Disclaimer: I do not own the storyline for tropical kiss nor do I own the characters for South of Nowhere. They belong solely to Jan Coffey and Tom Lynch.**

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They had everything back in the closet by the time Mackenzie arrived to pick Spencer up for work. Ash had called in earlier, telling someone in the office that she was running late. Ash told Spencer that she'd make up the work at the other end of the day. She wasn't worried about it.

On the way to the restaurant, Mac asked Spencer if she'd like to hangout and run a couple of errands with her tomorrow. Both of them had Friday off.

"Sure, what kind of errands?"

"I was hoping you'd help me pick out a dress."

Spencer smiled. "That's right. Tomorrow night id your big date with Aiden."

"Not big date. Its only a date," Mac corrected. "I can't build this up too much. I don't want this 'big date' to turn out to be a 'big disaster'."

"Do you know where he's taking you?"

"We're going on one of those dinner-and-dance boats. It goes out of the harbor at Oranjestad."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Spencer said. "I'm so happy for you."

Mac beamed. "I was also wondering if you'd want to do a half day at a spa at the Radisson. My mom knows the manager, and she can get us a huge discount."

"Wow, I've never done that."

"I can try and schedule us in for tomorrow morning. You can even ask Ash if she wants to go."

"Spencer thought about that and frowned. Ash had to work tomorrow morning. "I don't know if she'll be able to go. With work and all."

"Oh. Well, that's all right. I guess she can come some other time then?"

"Sure. In fact, I think she'll be sad she didn't come this time." Spencer then stared think about the spa for tomorrow. "What do we do? Get a massage?"

"Massage, a facial, whatever. I'm definitely going to get some help with this hair. But you can get a wrap, or even a manicure of pedicure, if you want."

"Count me in." Spencer thought it would be fun, and the discount would be especially nice since she was planning to pay for it herself. This was starting to feel like it was a real vacation.

They were still hammering out the details when Mackenzie pulled into the parking lot next to the restaurant. Right away, Spencer noticed the black Jaguar with tinted windows. It was parked at the very end of the lot, close to the street. Next to it, she could see a black stretch limo. A slick-looking guy, maybe in his twenties, and two gorilla-sized men who could have been ex-football players were standing between the two cars, chatting and keeping an eye on things. The gorillas were wearing matching black shirts and pants. _Probably on the same team, _she thought.

As much at the limo was an attention getter, it was the Jaguar that caught Spencer's eye. She looked around and saw him just sitting down at a table outside the restaurant. Her good friend ole' porcupine butt. He was sitting by the road, at the same table she and Mac occupied yesterday. With him were two men wearing dark golfing shirts. All of them were wearing shades and looking way to serious to be tourists.

Mackenzie parked the car, but Spencer made no move to get out.

"What's the matter?"

"Him. . . The guy with the hat." Spencer pointed to him. "He was hassling me at the airport last week. He's really creepy. I really wouldn't want him to see me walking into the restaurant."

"The one with the flower shirt and bristly face?" Mackenzie asked, sounding somewhat alarmed.

"Yeah. Old Porcupine butt. Why? Do you know him?"

Mac nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty well known on the island. His name is Lorenzo. They call him 'The Chin'. He's originally from Colombia, but he now spends most of his time in Aruba. Unfortunately. Word is he's connected to a cartel of drug dealers in South America. I've also heard stories that he works with the Mafia in America."

Spencer shivered. She had been alone with this creep and she had almost run into him on the beach. "Why don't they arrest him?"

"They have once or twice, but he always gets out. He's a middle guy. According to the rumors. The deal maker. They can never tie anything to him directly. He's just the slime that sets the table for something to happen. He collects the commission and stays in the clear."

Spencer thought about that for a moment, then glanced sharply at her friend. "How do you know so much about him?"

Mac shrugged. "it's a small island. But I know him personally because he was hitting on my mother a couple of years ago."

"She's way too nice for a creep like him."

"I agree. It scared the crap outta me. But it was the perfect setup for him. Nevermind that she's good looking, but she also runs a business in the high-rent district of the island. Thank god she wouldn't have anything to do with him. She told me everything she knew about him so I'd know what was going on. "

Mackenzie planted her arms on the steering wheel and stared at the trio sitting around the table. "She's probably in the back fuming right now. He does this every now and then. Brings whoever he's setting up a deal with to the restaurant. He knows she wont kick him out."

"Why not?"

Mackenzie motioned toward the thugs by the car. "If you don't treat Lorenzo with respect, there's a price to pay. She doesn't want to have the place burned down one night. And also, she likes her face the way it is."

"He'd do that? Hurt her like that?"

"He's done worse," Mac said grimily.

"What a total creep! Who are the people with him?"

Mac shook her head. "I don't know them. Probably just in for the weekend to close some deal." She followed Spencer's gaze toward the cars.

"And them?"

"The younger guy with the two bruisers is even worse. Don't go anywhere near him. He likes to be called Tony, but I don't think that's his real name. The Chin says Tony is his nephew. I think he's lying, though. I think he just hired the goon to watch his back and do his dirty work."

It was no different in the United States. There were normal people who went about their lives, and there were the few bad eggs. She just wanted to make sure that their paths never crossed.

"So, what happens now Mac?"

"Nothing, as far as I'm concerned. My mom wont come out of the kitchen until he leaves. The Chin does his business, then leaves a ridiculously large tip on his way out."

"I don't want him to see me. I'd rather be invisible around the guy."

"I don't blame you,' Mackenzie said, starting the car again. "I'll pull up in the back. You can go through the kitchen door and hang out there with my mom. I'll come and get you when the ghost is clear."

"What. . . Do you think the two of us can just hide while you face the big bad wolf?"

Mac gave her a wink. "Hey, his tip is going to pay for my spa treatment tomorrow. It'll be worth it."

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They sat at either end of the sofa. Spencer's left foot was under Ash's butt. The brunette's hand absentmindedly caressed the blonde's thigh. The contains of leftover Chinese food had been moved to the kitchen counter during the last commercial break. The movie they were watching was one that they'd both seen at least a half dozen times.

Even if it were the first time she was seeing it, Spencer would still have a hard time focusing on the movie. Her gaze continued to drift to Ash's unbelievably hott profile. It still seemed impossible that the brunette found her attractive. That she'd chosen her over Kate. She understood Mackenzie's feelings.

Ash reached over and turned off the light on the table next to her. They'd closed the vertical blinds on the sliding glass door some time ago. The only light left on was the one in the kitchen, and the shadows stretched over them. Ash looked at her, and the blonde felt the tug low in her belly. Ash wanted her, and she wanted Ash. A commercial came on.

"I used to hate commercials." She inched toward the taller girl. "But they do have their pluses."

Taking Ash's face in her hands, she placed soft kisses on her chin, her cheeks, her adorable button nose, before rubbing their lips softly together. She could read so much in the other woman's eyes. Desire, emotion. Ash threaded her fingers into the blonde's hair, drew her close, and deepened the kiss.

Spencer was the one who had said they were moving too fast a day ago. Bu tonight, she was the instigator. As their mouths played a seductive dance, her hands moved under the other girls shirt, running all over the toned stomach muscles. She was amazing, beautiful, and the blonde couldn't remember ever being as consumed by anything or anyone as she was now.

The commercial ended. Spencer slowly drew back on the sofa. Ash caught her ankle, the one without the cast, and put the blonde's foot on her lap.

"You're driving me crazy, Spencer," Ash whispered thickly, her eyes traveling down every inch of the other girl.

She might as well have been naked the way Ash's gaze scorched her skin. Her foot moved restlessly on the brunette's lap, and she bit her lip.

"You keep on like this, and all bets are off."

"You don't scare me," she whispered back.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Ash's hand slowly slid up the inside her leg, sending shock waves up through the blonde's body. . .shock waves that immediately turned to panic at the sound of a key in the slider door. Ash immediately with drew her hand and laid a pillow casually on her lap.

Spencer sat bolt upright and glanced at the clock. 9:00A second later, Arthur pushed through the blinds. He was oblivious, of course, to his interruption of a very intimate moment.

"Hi," he said. "Watching something good?"

They both waved a greeting.

"Billy Madison," Spencer said. Her father looked totally exhausted. "Have you had dinner yet? There's plenty here." 

"Sounds good. But I think I'll take a shower first."

Spencer wasn't surprised her father hadn't caught on to her and Ashley's relationship. He was never around, and if he was, most of his attention was still occupied by his work. He didn't even know she was gay, but the blonde didn't know if he knew about Ashley.

Well, she thought, _if it's brought up tonight, tonight would be a good time to explain a few things to him._

"I'm gonna run, Ash told her after Arthur disappeared into his bedroom.

"You don't have to go."

"I know." She brushed a kiss on the blonde's lips and smiled. "You're totally amazing. I'd love to keep you to myself. But remember what we talked about this morning? About giving him a chance to be your father _and_ your friend? By the looks of things, you're going to have to grab whatever time he has."

She understood.

"Plus," Ash added. "I think I need a shower, too. A long, cold one."

Spencer smiled as Ash got up to leave. As she went out, the blonde decided to leave all the windows and the slider open. The fresh air felt good, and the scent of flowers drifted in from the courtyard. Spencer went to the kitchen to make sure the food was still hot. It wasn't, so she put what was left in a large dish and suck it in the microwave. While she was sitting out a plate and silverware for Arthur, she saw him go back and forth between his bedroom and the office.

He hadn't taken a shower yet.

"Did Ash go?" he asked.

She nodded, her mind going back to what she had seen in his desk last night.

"By the way," she said. "I was wondering if I could use your computer to check my e-mail. Our PC at home died the week before I left Ohio, and it feels like forever since I've been in touch with my friends."

She noticed his slight hesitation, but he recovered quickly. "Sure. You can bring it out here, if you want."

"No. I'd rather be sitting at you desk, actually. It'd be easier on my leg."

"In that case, let me boot it up for you."

She came around the counter. " I know how to do it."

"I have a security system that you need to get pass. I'll do it."

Spencer followed him into his office. The briefcase was back and sitting next to the desk. There was a green folder open that he quickly closed and tucked under one arm. He opened the laptop and switched it on.

She looked around the room, turned on a couple of lights, including the one on the desk. Everything looked so neat and clean and almost sterile, like the rest of the house. She thought about what Ash had mentioned this morning to her- about Arthur's project, whatever it was. She wondered how he would celebrate when he was done. There was nothing exciting to come back to here, that's for sure. Absolutely nothing exciting. . . Like his life.

Spencer looked at her father and the weariness she saw in him tugged at her heart. "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

His blue gaze lifted off the screen and met hers. Surprise quickly turned to amusement, wrinkling the corner of his eyes. "A girlfriend?"

"Oh. Maybe you have one and just don't want to introduce me to her."

"No. No girlfriend at present."

"And why is that?"

"Wait a minute. This isn't the way this discussion is suppose to go. I'm suppose to be asking_ you _these kinds of questions."

"Well, I am your daughter. I think I have the right to know."

"Really?" He raised a hand over his face. "To be honest, this was the discussion that I really wanted to have with you. I want to know about your relationships."

"Mine is very simple, and you can start patting yourself on the back for setting it up." She sat in one of the chairs. "I'm gay. Ash is gay. We're going out. Girlfriends. Having a relationship as you put it."

His eyes went wide. He sat back in his chair. "When did this start?"

Spencer didn't clearly know if he meant when she became gay, or her relationship with Ash. She took a wild guess. "Our infatuation began when I was two and she was five, or six. I've been carrying a torch for her ever since."

He stared at her for a couple of seconds, gauging her seriousness. She smiled, and he seemed relieved. "I see. A long-term relationship. And how serious is this?"

Very, but he wasn't going to tell him that. 

"Is there any problem with me going out with her?" she asked instead, feeling a bit defensive.

"None whatsoever," he quickly replied. "Although, I am quite curious as to how you and Ash developed this. . . Connection. Did you ever have a boyfriend?"

"Well, I only had one boyfriend in high school, and he happened to have much. . . much greater expectations than Ash does." She almost laughed to see him grow immediately tense.

"What did he want?" he asked.

"Sex."

He cleared his throat. His face looked a little flushed. "What did you do?"

"I told him no."

"What happened?"

" He found out I was gay. He broke up with me."

"That miserable little. . ." He bit back whatever he was going to say.

"Yeah. It was kind of hard at first. Paula and Ben found out. But they soon accepted it. . .me. And of course my best friend Madison and her boyfriend Sean were cool about it."

That part of her life had been tough. Admitting she was gay, and getting her leg broke on top of it. She had shed all the tears she was going to. Of course, there were other reasons for the tears, reasons she couldn't explain to Paula. Her mother's marriage to Ben marked the end of an era. Spencer felt she was losing the only parent she was ever able to rely on. She wouldn't be Paula's best friend anymore. Never again would she be the center of her mother's attention. Once she had gotten her cast, the doctors gave it six weeks to heal. She'd given herself the same length of time to get over her mother's marriage and everything else that was changing in her life.

To Spencer's relief, the six weeks had been extended to eight. She doubted that would be enough time to straighten out things with her father.

Arthur stared at a spot just beyond her right shoulder for a long time. Finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. I wish I could have been there for you, too."

Shit. Spencer felt her armor slipping, the emotion rising through the cracks in the crust of her defenses. She blinked a couple of times and tried to focus on the pattern on the rug. 

"I have no problem with your relationship with Ash," he said, after a minute. Although he wanted his daughter to be interested in boys, he knew she'd been through a horrible experience in the past. Besides, Ash was a wonderful person. And he figured they would be good for each other.

She looked up and nodded. She still didn't trust her voice.

This is ready for you," he said, motioning to the laptop. He got up from the chair and came around the desk. "I think I'll go take that shower now."

Spencer at and watched him leave the office. He seemed as shaken up as she was. She didn't know why, but his words had come as a surprise. It was a totally weird feeling. What he was saying was that he really wanted to be apart of her life. The good part and the bad parts too.

And she believed him.

The shower water began to run in the master bathroom. Spencer came around the desk and tested the drawer that had been opened last night. The entire desk was locked up.

Trust him. The words echoed in her head. She wanted to. She had to.

Spencer sat behind the desk and logged into her myspace, of which she referred to as e-mail. She read upon messages from the people she missed in Cincinnati, a world she left behind almost a million years ago.

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Thanks to all of you who responded to my A/N question earlier. I don't feel as lost now... YaY!

Review...please?


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Oh my god. Schools been a b!tch, sorry for the long wait but, finally, here is all of chapter 18. Chapter 19 should be up really later today or early tomorrow; it's relatively short. So, look for it.

Thank you guys so much for all the reviews for chapter 17!

Bon' Apetite...

Oh, and if they're any errors, sorry in advance...

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Spencer sent a nervous glance at her friend as the thin woman who was her masseuse waited for her to go inside first.

"You'll love it," Mac assured Spencer, giving her a big smile.

The room was small, maybe six by eight. The lights had been dimmed. Soft music played in the background. A high narrow table, padded and covered with layers of white sheets and towels, sat in the middle. There was a dish on top of a plug-in burner in a corner, filling the air with a pleasant scent that she couldn't identify. She also saw a number of bottles of oils and creams on the same table that held the burner.

Her name was Kyrenia. They'd been first introduced outside when Spencer and Mac had arrived. She spoke English with an accent, and had a very pleasant smile.

"Okay. Everything off. Lie under the towel, facing up."

"Everything?" Spencer asked, growing uncomfortable.

Kyrenia nodded. "I wait outside."

"Because you know, I have a girl-," the door was closed in her face.

There was no room for argument and the clock was ticking. Spencer slipped out of her sundress and underwear and threw them on a chair. Naturally, the hem of her dress caught one of the bottles on the table, and she nearly dove to catch it. Losing her balance, she bumped the table hard and half a dozen bottles fell over and started rolling toward the edge.

In seconds, she had a juggling act going. She caught two, but the rest fell to the floor. Thankfully, none of them broke.

Spencer was till putting the bottles back on the table when she heard a knock on the door.

"Five seconds," she pleaded, replacing the last bottle.

As she tried to get under the towel, her cast banged the leg of the table so hard it sounded like a gong. She was still struggling with the towel when Kyrenia walked back in.

Five seconds obviously meant five seconds.

The masseuse dimmed the lights a little more. The volume of the music went up slightly. She walked over to the corner where the oils and creams were. If she noticed, she didn't say anything about Spencer's rearranging job.

"Relax, honey," the woman whispered, picking up one of the bottles.

Easier said than done. Spencer noticed the door was very flimsy and there were no locks. What is someone decided to come in? She couldn't see what Kyrenia was doing, and that was nerve-racking too. She felt too exposed. If only Ash could get a load of this. She suddenly imaged Ash walking into the room while this exotic Aruban native massaged soothing oils on her back.

Just as she was about to call the whole thing off, Kyrenia's hands appeared before her face, her palms over her nose.

"Breathe."

She followed the direction and took a deep breath. Whatever was on the masseuse's hands smelt wonderful. Spencer took another breath and then another. In all of thirty seconds, she was beginning to feel very relaxed.

_Whatever this is, _Spencer thought, _it can't be legal_.

Kyenia went to work. There was no talking. Only the music and the scents and the feel of warm oil being massaged onto her face by competent hands. Spencer lost track of time. Her shoulders and arms were next and then she had to roll over and her back became the target of the masseuse's hands.

By the time Kyrenia reached her legs, Spencer felt like a total rag doll. Somewhere in the back of her brain, it suddenly sank in why many people got weekly massages: to relax. Somewhere along the massage, she started picturing Ash's hands rubbing all over her body. The massaged then led to some very other intimate activities. A breathed _Ash_ escaped her lips and the masseuse looked at her quickly, but continued with the massage.

Outside of her room, Mac and Spencer met for a minute before they went of to their next stop on their spa tour.

"I'm only getting a manicure," Spencer told her friend. "The pedicure will have to wait until this leg comes out for the cast."

"How many days left?"

"Six," she said with a sigh.

"Well, have fun with the manicure. I'll probably still be with the hairdresser when you finish. Come and see me there."

Spencer felt a lot les trepidation in getting her nails done. It wasn't something she did regularly , but it wasn't a total foreign experience. Plus, she didn't have to go naked for it. She recalled the last time she'd had her nails done. It was the week before the prom.

_Well, here's to new beginnings_, she thought.

Forty minutes later, she joined her friend in the salon. Mac was still under the hand of the stylist, and Spencer smiled at the face she made at her. Mac waved her closer.

"Watch what you say," she whispered as soon as Spencer was close enough to hear her.

Spencer looked around and saw what Mac was referring to: The Lizards. Kate was getting wrapped in foils for highlights, and Ellie was getting her hair blow-dried. Liz and Beth were waiting in chairs.

She turned her back to them and watched what the stylist was doing to Mac.

"Can you believe it? She cut my hair even shorter!"

"You look beautiful," Spencer said in earnest, seeing for the first time what was done. Her hair was shorter, accentuating Mac's curls. She always had a soft spot for short-hair women(especially lesbians). "This looks so gorgeous on you. It'll be so much easier to pick out the perfect dress, too. You should wear something that shows lots of cleavage."

"We'd better find a dress that comes with it."

"Come on, you have plenty," Spencer said positively.

"Sounds like the girl is speaking from first-hand experience," one of the Lizards said, drawing snickers from the other three.

Spencer turned around and looked at the amused looks at the four girls faces. "So, the lizards do come in out of the sun."

"You should be careful," Kate said. "Once you get your roots colored, someone could actually accuse you of being a natural blonde."

Was she calling Spencer a fake? Well, the gloves were off then, and Spencer started to respond.

Kate had to ruin it though, by suddenly smiling at her. "We were just teasing. You two started the name calling, you know.

"You're right," Spencer said, pasting a fake smile on her face. "And what's a little teasing between friends?"

"Exactly." Kate looked at her nails. "By the way, were you able to pas o my message to Ash?"

"Of course. Didn't she call you?" Spencer tried to sound shocked.

Kate lowered her chin, hiding the upper half of her face. "She probably did. I haven't been home much lately to check my messages."

Total denial, Spencer thought. _Enjoy it._

"So, are you two coming to the party?"

Spencer met Mackenzie's gaze in the mirror. She gave her an encouraging wink. "We might poke out heads in. Can we bring our dates?"

No answer. Spence figured it was because Kate was under the massive Hair dryer.

"Can we bring our guests?" she repeated.

"Oh. Absolutely."

"Great."

Thankfully, the hairdresser was just finishing up with Mackenzie, and within fifteen minutes, the two friends were on the road to Oranjestad for lunch and dress shopping.

"So, you're going to the party," Mac said happily.

"Not only am I going. Ash is coming as _my_ date."

"That's fabulous," Mackenzie said with enthusiasm. I knew you two would end up with each other."

There was no denying it. Not to Mac. She'd been so open with her feelings toward Aiden.

"I'm crazy about Ash. But at the same time. . . I'm scared shitless."

"That's what love is all about." Her eyes flitting from the road to Spencer, and back again.

"I don't think this s about love. I think this is more about me being a Carlin I mean. . ."

She paused to gather her thoughts. " I mean, come from a broken marriage. . . And in a way, I know I'm to blame."

"That's absurd. All kids think divorce is their fault, when it really isn't."

"Seriously," Spencer continued. "I don't think they were ready to be parents when they had me. When I was little, they insisted I call them by their first names."

"That's why you call your father 'Arthur'?"

Spencer nodded. "It wasn't until this past year, when Paula started getting serious with

Ben, that maybe being called a mother would her a more authorities figure over me. So then it was 'Mom'. I mean, come on!" She shook hr head in frustration. "They're a total mess. I'm a total mess."

"No, you're not," Mac scolded her. "Lord, I wish I had a tape recorder so you could her yourself talk. You sound just like I sounded a couple of days ago."

Spencer glanced at her friend. "You're not like that anymore?"

She shook her head from side to side. "Definitely not. I'm a new woman, and I'm determined to let all the pampering do some good."

"Okay," Spence said. "Then, I'm with you."

They both laughed.

"You know," Mac said after a moments silence. "I think we should come up with a nickname for you."

"I've tried before. But you cant really shorten the name 'Spencer'. Once I tried the name. . ." Spencer was going to say more, but the words left her tongue. She stared at some men standing near a black limo on the street they wee passing.

"Stop," she said as they passed the corner. "Stop here."

Mackenzie veered to the right, cutting another car off and almost causing an accident. She pulled onto the gravel shoulder of the road and slammed on the brakes.

"What's wrong?"

"I saw Arthur." Spencer pushed the door open and got out. She didn't bother with the crutches and started hurrying as fast as her leg would allow her to go. It seemed to take forever, but within a minute, she was standing at the corner, peering around the edge of a building.

The street was empty. The car was gone. She'd seen her father. She was absolutely sure it was him. Worse, he was talking to one of the men who'd been sitting with Lorenzo yesterday at the restaurant. Two bodyguards were there, too. One of them was holding the door of the limo open, while Arthur got in with them.

A couple of seconds later, Mackenzie came roaring up in reverse against the oncoming traffic. She slammed on the brakes at the corner. She rolled down the window.

"Spencer, what's going on?"

Her father was getting into a car with drug dealers. Great. How do you say that to your friend?

"I wish I knew."

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A/N: Please review. . . for the love of God! Or for the love of the story, either one. smileys


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own the storyline of Tropical kiss, nor do I own the characters of South of nowhere.**

**A/N: Here is Chapter 19, up and runnin'!**

**I'm glad you all are sticking with this story. Like I said, I know where I'm going with it and I do plan on finishing it. There's about 10 or 11 more chapters until It's completed.**

**I was afraid no one would want to read this story because it doesn't revolve solely around Spencer _and_ Ashley, but moreso around Spencer herself(no worries, there will still be lots of Spashley). So I want to thank you all for staying with the story and not giving up on it. The party you all have been waiting for will be somewhere around Chapter 23. I really appreciate all the reviews you all gave me for chapter 18. Keep 'em comin'!**

**Enjoy...**

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It was late in the afternoon when the two girls got back to Spencer's house. They'd decided to get Mac ready at the villa for her date, since she was planning to come back after the diner cruise to spend the night.

The dress they had chosen for her was gorgeous. An aqua pastel paisely print in a soft, flowery material. The knee-length skirt was flattering and perfect on her. The neckline was a crossover 'V', but the back plunged, ending in a deep slit. The dress was hot, to say the least.

Spencer thought there was no need to wear something over it. It wasn't like it would be cold on the water. Aruba had to have the most perfect weather anywhere. Besides, Mackenzie looked absolutely beautiful and incredibly sexy in the dress. Mac wasn't convinced though. Shy about all the skin showing, she'd insisted on picking up a hand-crocheted shawl of almost the identical color from her mother's house.

As Mac draped it around her shoulders, Spencer kept her comments to herself about Mackenzie still looking hot for fear of her friend deciding against the dress all together.

"I don't like your shoes with them," Spencer objected, pointing to the black sandals Mac had on. They wore the same size shoes. She offered a pair of white leather ankle strap slides. "Why don't you try these?"

Mac slipped her feet in and looked at herself in the mirror. "You're right. That looks much better."

Spencer had helped her put on a little mascara and lip gloss before donning the dress. Mac had such perfect bronze skin that anything more and Spencer thought it would take away from her natural beauty.

"And what do you think of this necklace with the dress?" Spencer moved behind her and held a double-drop necklace against Mac's throat.

"It's beautiful," Mac whispered. "But I cant take it. I'd be too afraid to lose it."

"You wont lose it. And if you do, it's no big deal," Spencer assured her. "I made it myself. I gave Ash one a couple of days ago and she loved it. I want you to keep this one."

"No way."

Spencer nodded, showing her how the cord was made of natural-colored leather and the drops were dark blue stones she'd found at the crafts fair.

"I'll be really careful."

"I'm not worried," Spencer said, clipping the necklace around her neck.

They both heard the sound of Aiden's car pulling into the driveway. Mackenzie turned to Spencer one last time, the edge of panic in her face.

"Oh my god, that's him. How do I look?"

"You look awesome." Spencer started pushing Mac to the door. "Now, don't forget. No laughing, no drinking, no kissing, no touching. . . And definitely, no having a good time." She pecked an innocent kiss on Mac's cheek as a friendly gesture. She just couldn't help it, Mac looked so adorable.

"Yes mom." Mac paused at the door. "What time is Ash getting home tonight?"

"She's going sailing after work. A couple of runs, and she thought she should be home before it got dark."

"I can't wait till you're out of that cast. I really think you'll love the sport."

"I'm definitely going to try and learn it. We'll go from there," Spencer said, following Mac out through the front door.

Aiden was waiting next to his car. All cleaned up, he looked pretty hot too. He only had eyes for Mackenzie, though, as Spencer wished both of them a great time.

As Aiden went around to get in the driver's seat, Spencer admired her friends taste. Aiden was quiet, not a ladies' man who played the field. More of the studious type. In Spencer's mind, that was another mark in his favor. Actually, the two seemed perfect for each other.

She leaned against Mackenzie's car, watching Aiden back out and start down the road. She waved and started to turn toward the villa.

She stopped and looked back down the road. A white car was parked four or five houses up. She'd lived here long enough to know that unless there is a party, no one left their cars along that stretch of the road. She didn't think anyone was living in that house they were parked in front of.

The sun cast a glare on the windshield, but she could se there were two people inside. She couldn't make out anything else.

Spencer walked back into the villa. After locking the door, she went to the window and peered out at the road. The white car had moved. It was now parked closer to the house. She stood there, watching it, prickles running down her back in fear.

"What's this all about?" she muttered.

It could have been five minutes, or fifteen-she lost track of time- but finally the passenger door of the car opened. A tall man in a flowered shirt and sunglasses stepped out. He had a crew cut and looked to be balding front. He stood there for a couple of minutes, leaning against the car and apparently talking to the driver. Spencer saw him look around and then look back at the villa.

They had seen her come back inside alone. Spencer shuddered at the thought of one of them knocking on the door. She wouldn't answer it. They could break in though. Her mind wouldn't slow down enough to think of what they might want. She just figured it had to be bad.

Looking around the villa, she tried to remember if there were any other doors or windows that might have been left unlocked. The air-conditioning was blasting, so she doubted it. She wasn't going to take any chances though., flimsy locks or not. As quickly as she could, she went around the house, making sue every door and window was locked.

Her broken leg was suddenly a huge liability. Spencer wanted her cast off. Now.

As she closed the last shade, it occurred to her that they'd probably seen her close them. It didn't matter though, they were closed now, and she wasn't answering the door.

She grabbed her phone and dialed Ash's number at work. A woman answered and told her she had left for the day. Spencer introduced herself and asked for her father next.

"I haven't seen Mr. Carlin since he left this morning."

"When was that?" she asked.

"Around eleven," the woman explained. "I don't believe he's coming back today, either."

Spencer thanked the woman and hung up.

Ash didn't like to carry a cell phone. She aid she didn't need it on Aruba, and there weren't enough people she knew on the island that shed want to get a hold of.

But she and Arthur insisted that Spencer carry _hers_ around. _Damn it_, she thought.

Arthur. He carried a phone. He'd given her the number. Spencer picked up the phone and speed-dialed him. She got his voice mail.

"Unbelievable." Not much point in leaving a message, she decided, since she'd be dead.

Emergency numbers. She didn't know what they'd be in Aruba. There was a fat copy of the Aruba phone book in the kitchen. She pulled it out and checked the numbers for police and fire.

Phone in hand, she walked toward the front door and peered out.

Both men were now out of the car. The looks on the shorter one's face made him look just as intimidating as the big, buff one. The two men looked up and down the road and then started toward the villa.

Her muscles seemed to freeze, and Spence stood where she was, watching them come.

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A/N: I hate to leave you all with another cliffhanger, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Oh and if there were any mistakes or things you especially like, don't hesitate to tell me.

Reviews?


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Now, to see what happens to Spencer. . .

If they're any errors, whatever... I'm lazy, sue me... not!

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Ash slammed on the brakes and stared at the villa.

A fire engine and a police car blocked the road right in front of the Carlin place. Sandwiched against the fence was Mackenzie's ancient car.

"Spencer," she whispered. Throwing the car into park, she jumped out.

Immediately, she heard sound of men talking and laughing, and the voices were definitely coming from the courtyard.

The hoses from the fire engine were still in place. Neither emergency vehicle had it's lights on. There were no group of spectators watching the action. Most important, there was no ambulance. They'd just decided to use as a parking area, apparently. She strode toward the villa.

She stopped dead when she heard Spencer's voice over the rest. _"Tumi aki, pa fabor."_

Ash understood enough of the words in the blonde's broken Papiamento to figure she was asking someone to take something. Ash stood there for a couple of seconds, letting her heart climb back into her chest, and then walked toward what was beginning to sound like a party.

The guests started to leave, though, before she made it to the gate.

A firefighter went by with a handful of cookies. He'd shed his gear and was wearing a T-shirt and khaki work pants.

"_Bonochi," _the fireman said with a mouthful, as he passed by. "She's nice. That girl."

"_Bonochi,_" Ash said, wishing him a good evening in return.

Ash then stopped to talk to a young police officer who was coming through the gate next.

"What happened?" Ash asked.

"The pretty young lady called in about a fire. The truck comes out, and we all get a call to come out too. My partner and I happened to be at the Fisherman's Hut, so it was no problem."

"I'm glad." Ash replied. "Where was the fire?"

"She said she saw sparks coming from one of the plugs in the kitchen."

Ash saw the last members of the firefighting crew leave the courtyard. She figured she'd find out the rest of what happened from Spencer herself.

"We didn't find anything of any fire," the young officer said with a smile. "But she's very nice."

Ash thanked him, but before she could get to Spencer, the firefighters were calling her back to move her car. Once the emergency vehicles got past her, she parked next to Macs car and got out. Spencer was waiting for her.

"I thought I saw you out front," Spencer said, coming around the car. She cam right into Ash's arms and held her.

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked.

The blonde's head bumped her chin but she didn't believe her. "What's wrong?"

The younger woman pulled away and looked up and down the street. The sun was just dropping into the Caribbean and a light breeze was cooling the air. She was obviously looking for something, but Ash had no idea what It was.

"What's going on?"

Spencer nodded down the road. "There were a couple of men in a white car watching the villa," she finally said.

"When?"

"I noticed them when Aiden came over to pick Mackenzie up for their date."

"How do you know they were watching the house?

"I had a pretty good idea when they go tout of the car and started walking toward the villa."

"What happened then?" Ash was getting into protective mode.

"I didn't want to call the police and say 'Hey I'm scared. Someone is crossing the street. So I called the fire company and told them the first thing that came to my head."

Ash walked up to the edge of the road and looked both ways, but there were no other cars. She came back.

"I'm sorry, but I was really scared. And there was no one else to call. I didn't know what to do."

"I think you did great." She kissed the blonde's forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her into the courtyard. "I think that was genius."

"I felt so stupid though. There was no knock on the door. And no one tried to break in before the firefighters showed up. I was probably scare for nothing."

"I don't think so. I think you did the right thing," Ash said, helping her gather up napkins and plastic cups left on the table in the courtyard.

"Most of the houses in this neighborhood are owned by Americans. I'd say about two-third of them sit empty this time of year. I don't think they have too much trouble with break ins in Aruba, but you never know. You always have to go with your instinct."

She followed the blonde as they went into the villa. A cookies sheet an mixing bowl had been piled into the kitchen sink. The smell of home-baked chocolate cookies permeated the air.

"You were baking cookies?"

She nodded. "Sorry. They ate all of them."

"They?"

"The firefighters and the two police officers." She started stacking the bowls in the dish washer. "I felt so guilty. I mean, I knew they wouldn't be finding anything. So I figured the least I could do was bake them some cookies. I think they liked them. They ate the entire three dozen."

"Every single one of them told me how wonderful you are."

A beautiful smile broke across the blonde's lips. "They were trying o the me Papiamento. The younger one of the police officers were trying to ask me questions I didn't understand. By the way the rest of them laughed, though, I think he was trying to ask me out on a date."

"What did you tell him?" Ash asked, coming around the corner.

"I said I have a _boy_friend," she replied, turning to her. A devilish smile played across her lips.

"Right answer for them. Wrong answer for me." She took Spencer into her arms and softly kissed her lips. The way Spencer leaned into her drove her crazy, made her want to do more. A lot more. Her mouth was soft, her tongue playful, dancing together until Ash groaned in frustration. She pulled back, her forehead resting on the other girl's.

"Mmmm. I'm glad that was somewhat of a right answer," Spencer said. She took hold of the front of Ash's T-shirt and stepped back, taking Ash with her until she was leaning against the counter and the brunette was pressed up against her. Ash was going to have to be locked up in a nuthouse if Spencer kept doing this to her.

"You know, I talked to your father earlier."

Spencer immediately looked up. "What did he say?"

"It was o big deal. He just told me you talked to him about us and that he's okay with it."

A grateful sigh escaped the blonde's lips.

"But, he did say that if I hurt you in ant kind of way, I would have to deal with him personally. Girlfriend or not." She stopped for a moment. "He also asked if I planned on having sex with you, but you could tell he was a bit uncomfortable with it."

A pretty blush had colored Spencer's cheeks. "I swear I don't know what's up with my parents wanting to know that. I mean, it's not like I need condoms now, or have a risk of getting pregnant. What _did _you tell him?"

Ash kissed her then smirked. "I told him I would have sex with you, but when you're ready. And if he wanted to know in split details about how two girls get down, I would be more than helpful to let him know. He seemed to not want too much detail after the word sex though."

Spencer was laughing so hard by that time. The image of Ash talking to her dad about sex visualized in her head. She could just imagine his face. It was priceless.

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A/N: Happy now? I would never let anything bad happen to Spencer... I would of had this up yesterday but fanfic was having uploading problems. Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Now. . . click the review button and write me a review! \m/

Thanks for all chapter 19 reviews by the way! You guys made me smile, as always!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Since I _heart _you guys so much, I decided to post Chapter 21 tonight. The rest will be up later, or tomorrow morn'...

Enjoy. . .

* * *

If heaven came with white sand, clear skies, and water made up of so many shades of blue that a person could lose count, then the beach at Boca Grandi on the windward side of Aruba had to be the celestial paradise. Spencer leaned back on her elbows and felt the sun warming her skin. 

"Don't burn," she reminded herself, reaching for the lotion again.

Two weeks ago, Spencer never would have admitted to anyone that she would willingly lie on a beach, still in a cast, wearing only a bathing suit top and some cut-off jeans. But here she was. And enjoying it too.

Spencer looked at a tree on a low rise near the shore. Mac had pointed it out, telling her it was a divi-divi tree, the symbol of Aruba. It had the strangest shape for a tree, its trunk and branches brown and twisted like an ancient hand and holding a puff of greenery in its palm.

She sat up and shielded her eyes against the sun as she looked out at her friends racing across the water. The surf was high and powerful, and the spray often reached her, even where she was lying on her blanket far from the edge of the water. Ash had told her they were trying to get ready for Aruba high-winds Amateur Challenge, a competition that would take place in June. It was one of the most popular windsurfing competitions in the Caribbean, and the race attracted competitors from ore than thirty countries.

Ashley, Mackenzie, and Aiden were out in heavy swells far beyond the rollers crashing into the shore. As she watched, Spencer saw them all disappear into a trough. She frowned, thinking for the twentieth time that they must have been swallowed up by the sea, only to see Mac come flying up the far slope of the wave and sail straight up into the air. She flexed her legs expertly and dropped down smoothly into the next trough.

Ash was next to appear, and that wasn't good enough for her, obviously. As the fins of her board cleared the top of the wave, Spencer watched her lean back, forcing her board into a backward summersault. She held her breath as the brunette tumbled down into the water, and only let it out when she completed the flip and landed in the water smoothly in control. Aiden followed, flying off the top of the wave, and he too, quickly disappeared behind the other two into the next trough. They were amazing to watch.

It had been an educational experience hearing them talk this morning. Chop and reef passes. Jibes and Broad reaches. Boardmarkers named Geert. Sails named Pryde. Boards of carbon and kelvar. Bump and jump. Sheesh.

It was actually fun, though, to see how into it they were. She didn't really have a clue what they were talking about most of the time, but she did understand it when they said things like "scary fast."

_My god_, she thought. She was looking at scary fast now.

The three had come up into an area of slightly flatter water, and they were skipping across the surface like three triangular disks hurled from a slingshot.

Spencer lay back on the blanket again and pulled the baseball cap over her face. Except the sound of the sea and the wind, it was quiet out here. Few tourists came to Boca Grandi, it seemed, preferring the calmer waters on the other side of the island.

Last night, Ash had taken Spencer out to eat at an Italian restaurant overlooking those calm waters. The chairs and tables had actually been set on the beach with torches burning around the edges of the place. Spencer had loved the food, the atmosphere. . .and especially the company.

Ever since the conversation about her father's conversation with Ash about sex, the thought wouldn't leave Spencer's mind. Ash's words about waiting for her to be ready continued to dance in her head. She wondered hoe long Ash would wait.

How long did Spencer want her to?

Life was not as simple as deciding something and going through with it. At least, not Spencer's life. She couldn't be happy. Here she was in paradise with a hot and attentive woman, and she was killing herself worrying about what would come after. When summer was over. She'd be back in Cincinnati. Ash would be in L.A. Plus, her parents had failed at their long-distance relationship. Nevermind the distance. Could they keep a relationship going for that long? And would Ash want to?

Spencer realized she was giving herself a headache. Ash was thinking of today, tomorrow, this weekend. . .and she was already planning their retirement. She wished she could be more like Mackenzie. Her friend told her she and Aiden had a great time last night. But Mac wasn't picking out wedding dresses. She was only planning as far as this morning's sailing. She was living the moment and enjoying Aiden's company _now_.

Spencer tore her cap off and sat up. She wondered if she were even capable of having a relationship. She shook her head. What a piece of work.

Looking out at the water, she saw two other people had joined Ash, Mac, and Aiden. Three more people were dragging equipment down onto the beach. "Five more days," Spencer muttered. Five more days and she'd be trying everything. Swimming, scuba diving, windsurfing, snorkeling, horse back riding. Name it, and she'd be up for it. She was _ready._

She looked to the south, wondering if she dared to hazard a walk along the sandy beach. The tops of only a few houses could be seen in the distance, and the pretty Alto Vista Chapel was visible slightly inland, high on a hill. She looked north towards the lighthouse. There was nothing but sand, sea, and rock in that direction.

Except for the two men sitting in the shade of a divi-divi tree just above the beach.

Spencer stared at the white car behind them.

A hundred yards offshore, Ash caught sight of Spencer pushing to her feet. The brunette was thinking about taking the board for another run, but she decided against it. Instead, she jibed and headed straight for the shore.

The blonde had been sitting there for a couple of hours, and the sun was getting pretty high in the sky. For the last two runs, she'd began to worry about Spencer sizzling to a crisp. Ash had brought a sun umbrella for her to the beach, but she'd refused to let him open it, telling the older girl she'd take care of it. _She must be ready to get out of the sun, _Ash thought.

To her surprise though, the blonde wasn't heading back to the car. She was walking north, in the direction of the lighthouse. The sand on the beach was soft, and as Ash got close to the shallows, she could see it was hard going for the blonde with the crutches.

Guilt hit Ash like a wave. Spencer was probably bored. As well as burnt. She called to the other girl as she got off the board, but she doubted Spence heard her.

By the time Ash had came out of the water, she realized the other girl wasn't following the beach, but climbing a low, stony embankment beyond the beach. By a grove of trees beyond it, Ash saw a white car. Two men were standing on either side of the car, the doors open, engaged in an animated conversation. She remembered what the blonde told her last night. She'd seen two guys in a white car.

Ash ditched her board in the sand and took off after her. Spencer made it a surprisingly good distance, despite the crutches. The stony incline she was on now, though, worked in Ash's favor, and she caught up with the younger woman halfway up the hill.

"Where are you going?" Ash asked, reaching her.

Spencer seemed relieved to see her. "That's them. The two from yesterday. The ones who were watching the house."

"What were you going to do?"

"I'm going to ask them what they want."

"Spencer," she took her arm, forcing her to stop. "If these two are the same guys, and if you were the only one they were watching, don't you think it would be complete lunacy to approach them alone?"

She nodded. "But I'm not alone. You're with me."

"Yeah, but I wasn't a minute ago. You could have waited for me," she said, more sharply than she intended. "Look around you. If you reached them, and they decided to stuff you in the trunk, who would have heard you scream?"

"You're being a little overly dramatic."

"No, I'm not. I'm worried about you. You cant keep doing dangerous things."

"I really wasn't trying to," she said softly, leaning into the brunette. "I figured if I get close enough, I could read the license plate on their car." She leaned back on her crutches.

"And what were you going to do with that? Call your good friends at the fire department?" she asked, tapping the blonde's cheeks with her fingers.

She stared at Ash for a moment, the color rising in her face. "I might have," she said stubbornly.

Frustrated, Ash ran a hand through her hair. Standing there in that little bikini top and tiny jean shorts that showed off a knockout body, Spencer didn't even realize how beautiful she was. She didn't know that two strange men in a place secluded at this might get some sick ideas. . .even if they weren't the same men as before. They could easily grab her, even if they didn't know her from Adam, Or Eve. Of whatever.

Spencer looked up the hill. "They're gone."

Ash looked to see the white car making its way up the rough road over the hills separating Boca Grandi from the rest of the island.

"You don't have to sound so disappointed," the brunette said.

"Well I am. I don't particularly like the idea of being a victim, and somebody watching me from a distance makes me fell like one. So if taking a two-by-four or a crutch to their heads is the answer, then I'm ready to go that route."

Before Ash could argue, she wheeled around and headed toward the parked cars, leaving a small bruise on the brunette's shin from her crutches she swung around.

Ash had a feeling Spencer was headed to Mac's car.

What the heck was the brunettes getting into? Spencer was stubborn, temperamental, and accident prone. She didn't particularly like the idea of having to explain their relationship to Spencer's father. . .who also happened to be her boss.

Then again, Spencer was smart, funny, passionate, and beautiful. And Ash was falling hard for her. . . In the capital _L_ sense of the word.

That was the scariest thing of all.

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A/N: Thanks so much for chapter 20 reviews!

Review now or I will let out the evily sweetness of my monkey ningas. . . roar. Hear them scream.


	22. Chapter 22

UGH FINALLY chapter 22 is up... I've been so depressed lately that it has been hard for me to type updates for you all but I plan to get back into the swing of things... plus I'm feeling happier.

So without further-a-do... here is chapter 22yay I rhymed

Thanks for chap21 reviews! Much love\m/. . .Oh and if any errors are in it, sry...

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Even though it was Saturday, Spencer was surprised to find her father working in his office a the villa when she got home around noon.

"You got burnt," Arthur observed when she appeared at the doorway.

She looked down at her arms. She was definitely darker, and she could feel the tightness of the skin on her arms, legs, back, and chest. Even her face felt tight, despite the layers of sunblock and the hat and sunglasses.

"Are you sure it's not a tan?" she asked, hopefully.

He smiled and shook his head. "You're going to hurt a little tonight."

The phone in the office rang, and Arthur picked it up on the first ring. She had the feeling he was expecting the call. She heard him greet whoever was on the line in Spanish.

He made a gesture to her to give him five minutes. She nodded and backed out of the room. He came around to close the office door, and Spencer noticed for the first time the large, silver-colored briefcase sitting next to the desk. She hadn't seen it before.

She hung around in the living room. Even with the office door closed, she could still hear a smattering of what Arthur was saying.

"_Tengo el dinero…"_

Spencer's curiosity was piqued. He was telling someone that he had the money.

"…_entrega…"_

_Delivery_. Spencer thought that's what it meant, anyway. She leant closer, her ear practically touching the door.

"…_manana…"_

_Tomorrow. _She totally missed the next couple of sentences. Her father spoke Spanish with the speed of the natives. Spencer did understand the last command: _llama me. Call me. _

She quickly stepped away from the door and went to the kitchen before her father came out

"Everything okay?" she asked as casually as she could muster when he appeared at the counter.

"Yes, fine." he said. But he still seemed preoccupied.

"Did you have lunch?"

He shook his head. "Did you?"

"No."

Spencer bit her lip and thought about what to say. She didn't want to lose him. She just wanted to know what was going on. Most important, she just anted to know that he was okay. That he wasn't getting himself into deep trouble. Money. Delivery. Tomorrow. The words didn't exactly fill her with confidence, and that made her angry. He was going to ruin it. Again. He was going to destroy the last chance they had.

"I can make us a grilled cheese. Or some tuna sandwiches."

"Either one. You pick."

She caught him glancing at his office door.

"How about if you sit here and keep me company?" Spencer knew she was pressing her luck, but what the hell? "So, who was on the phone?"

"Someone from work." He took her suggestions and sat on one of the stools.

"By the way, were you in town yesterday?"

When she glanced up, he adverted his eyes. "I might have been. Why? What time?"

"Around noon. I thought I saw you get into a car with-"

"It wasn't me." he said abruptly. He looked out the glass door to the guesthouse. "Where's Ashley?"

"I could have sworn it was you."

"No. It couldn't have been. Is she coming home for lunch?"

He was determined to change the topic.

"No, she was windsurfing this morning." Spencer said, disappointed. "And they have some races this

afternoon. They're trying to get ready for a competition in a couple of weeks."

"How did you get home?"

"My friend Mac, the girl who stayed over last night."

He nodded. His mind obviously cranking along. It was, apparently, on something else. Even with Macs car in the driveway, it was clear to Spencer that he hadn't paid any attention to the note she'd left him, telling him exactly where she was going. She decided to make tuna sandwiches.

"Is everything okay between you and Ash?"

"Pretty okay. . . Or at least I think it is, despite all the Carlin foul-ups." Spencer took a loaf of bread and a can of tuna out, and put it on the counter.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that there must be something genetically wrong with us," Spencer said. She needed to vent a little, and this was as good an opportunity as any. "I sometimes wonder if were even capable of being happy. We go out of our way to do stupid things to mess up our lives and our relationships with other people. . . And with each other."

"You're exaggerating."

"I wish I were." She took the mayo out of the fridge and set it down on the counter with a bang. "I mean, look at the track record our family has. You and Paula are divorced. My two aunts, who happen to be your sisters, are on their second and third marriages.. And when I left, Aunt number two's marriage was looking a little rocky. The rest of the Carlin relatives are incapable of even keeping in contact with other aunts and cousins."

"Your Aunt Bobbi is having marriage problems?"

"It doesn't matter!" she almost shouted. "The problem is we can't communicate. We keep everything in. We can't express our feelings. We hold grudges. And god forbid if anyone get too close, or if there is a slightest possibility a relationship is going to work out, then we'll just have to do something stupid to mess it up."

"You're doing okay in the communication department."

"But you're not."

He was doing exactly what she was talking about. Whatever deal it was that Phillip had gotten himself involved in was just another attempt to push her away. Prison bars can do pretty well to create distance.

She pushed the jar of mayo and the can of tuna away and leaned on her elbows on the counter, facing him.

"When I knew I was coming here on the summer, my only expectation was to be stuck in the house and have a horrible time. But things haven't gone as I expected. I've discovered in Ashley a person that I can care about deeply. I've found a friend in Mackenzie. I've jot a job. I'm loving the island. But do you know what's the biggest surprise of all?"

He shook his head.

"I've started liking my father."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "Spencer. . ."

"Don't." She shook her hand and withdrew her hand. "I don't want to like you because your doing it again. You're making me get used to you. Making me want to accept you as my father. Then you'll just take it away again."

"That's not so Spencer."

"But it is," she stressed. "You've done this to me over and over again. You've lied. You've gone away and stayed away. And you're doing the same thing now."

"Its my job. I know I haven't been there for you when you-"

She waved him off. "Is it you're job to have five passports under different names? Is it part of your profession to hang out with dangerous drug dealers?"

He stared at he, a hardness darkening his face.

"I need to know," Spencer asked in a softer voice. "Please tell me that nothing horrible is gong to come out of what you're doing."

"Nothing horrible will happen," he said, thickly, standing up.

"How do I know that?"

"You'll have to trust me, I guess."

Turning on his heel, he went across the house to his office, and Spencer winced as the door closed. A moment later, she heard him talking on the phone. She wondered if he heard anything she said.

She wondered if it meant anything to him at all.

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I order you to review this wonderous, fantastical story!!! Now!!!!!


	23. Chapter 23

**(Say's in big movie announcer dude voice) 'And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...'**

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The place where Kate and her friends were holding the party turned out to be a gorgeous five-bedroom villa on the beach in Malmok. The wide-open layout at the center of the house was perfect for parties, with tiled floors and glass everywhere. The view was all Caribbean and garden and pool.

The catered party had been set up around the pool, though, with tables piled high with finger foods and desserts and drinks. A small reggae band was playing on the far side of the pool. Torches had been set up everywhere, flickering and flaring in the light breeze.

"Now aren't you glad I talked you into coming after all?" Mac asked.

"No," Spencer said, stepping farther back into a bush as a group of laughing people tried to move past them.

Spencer's day had been miserable. She'd fought with Ash and argued with her father. She started to do the same thing with Mackenzie when she showed up at the house in the afternoon. Mac wouldn't put up with it though. She'd been determined they were going to the party, even if she had to drag Spencer. And Spencer's excuses that she had a sunburn, that she was exhausted, and that she had a headache fell on deaf ears. Mac had simply bullied her into dressing up and coming to the party.

"Aiden said he and Ash will try to get here by 9:00. They had an organizational meeting to go to at the fisherman's hut for the races."

"Do you know what time it is now?"

"No, why?"

"I want to leave by nine."

Mac shot her a narrow glare. "You're being impossible, girl."

"I am not, look at her," Spencer said through gritted teeth. Kate stood near the band,

swaying to the music. She was dressed in a very short strapless white dress that hugged her curves like a glove. "She looks like one of the stars on _Baywatch_."

"Not a star," Mac corrected. "Only an extra. But since were discussing looks, maybe you should go and stand in the bathroom. Go on, take a peek at yourself in the mirror. I'm telling you girl, you look hot."

"Yeah. that's because I'm burnt."

Mackenzie slapped her on he hand. "Fix the attitude. I just spotted one handsome looking guy and gorgeous looking girl walking in."

Spencer glanced at the glass French doors of the villa and saw Ash and Aiden. At the same time, she saw two of the Lizards pounce on them like five year olds at an ice-cream vendor. They both obviously had their plan in place. Quite the reception committee, and Kate wasn't far behind. As she rounded the pool, her smile looked so bright Spencer figured people were getting blinded in Venezuela.

Spencer smiled at a fact she took in. "Out of all the people I know, Ash _would _be a person who wears jeans to a formal party; and still look hot."

"Well she _is_ wearing a dressy pair of jeans and she does still fit in, as always," Mac chided. "I'm going to greet Aiden." Mac said. "Are you coming?"

"No," Spencer said in a small voice. "I think I'll just stay here and dig a hole I can crawl into."

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As Kate approached, Ash grabbed the bottle of beer out of Aiden's hand and held it up as if she were reading the label.

"Finally! I was expecting you this afternoon," Kate said, trying to lop her arm around Ash's neck.

Ash continued to hold the bottle in that way, and then she took a sip out of it. In a split second, the whole thing became too awkward, even for Kate.

"Nice party," Ash said, looking at the crowd. "Is Spencer here?"

"Yes she is," Mac answered, reaching them. Aiden immediately put an arm around her and stole a kiss. Mac smiled and pointed, reluctantly taking her eyes off Aiden. "She's by the garden. Oh, wait a minute. . .there she is. She's walking by the pool."

Ash stepped away from Kate and looked that way.

"She's moping a bit, Ash. She had a real hard day. Id say she needs a bit of TLC."

Spencer's back was to the brunette's, and Ash let her gaze move appreciatively from the blonde curls tumbling on her shoulders like a waterfall of golden, silky threads to her beautiful back. A long skirt reached her shoes, hiding all but the toe of her cast. The blonde turned to look at the band, and her gaze moved in Ash's direction and caught her eyes. Ash felt the sharp kick in her chest, and started towards the other girl.

"Not yet," Kate moved in front of her, pressing a hand to Ash's chest. "There's something I have to show you first. It's a surprise."

"Not now," Ash tried to get around her, but Kate blocked her again.

"It can't wait Ash. It's inside."

"Then let me go get Spencer, and you can show both of us your surprise."

"You can't spare five minutes with your girl?" She was pouting and hugging Ash's arm.

"Actually, I could spend an eternity with her, and she right there by the pool,' Ash said sharply, peeling Kate of her.

Ash didn't want to see if her words sank into Kate or not, for her attention was immediately drawn to a disaster being engineered before her very eyes.

Ellie was direction two of the waiters, who were holding one of the food laden tables like a battering ram and backing toward the pool. Ellie was taking of a wrap, revealing a dress with a neckline that plunged to her navel, and continuing to motion the men backward. The waiters' eyes were fixed on her. Ash watched in horror as Ellie aimed the end of the table right at Spencer, who was now standing and facing the pool. It was like a slow motion scene from a movie. Spencer was going to get knocked into the water.

"SPENCER!" she shouted.

The blonde must have heard her voice over the music, for she turned just in time to see the table about to ram her off the edge of the pool. As she stepped aside, one of her crutches banged the leg of the table, and Ash saw it fold inward. The men whirled around, letting go of the table as they saw Spencer.

As one end of the table collapsed, the great shrimp slide began, and Ash saw all the food slide irrevocably toward the pool.

Spencer stared in stunned belief at the stuffed mushroom caps spreading onto the surface of the water.

A watermelon fruit bowl came next, but it went down like the _Titanic_. The swan centerpiece carved from ice made the leap into the pool and seemed to peck once at the mushroom caps, but then quickly went belly up. Cocktail shrimp dove in like shiny red lemmings.

A strong arm encircled her waist and lifted her up, carrying her bodily away from the chaos.

"I won't have you taking all the credit for that," Ash whispered in her ear and kissed her earlobe.

"It was amazing, wasn't it?" Spencer asked as Ash put her down at the edge of one of the gardens closer to the beach. "These crutches have been the best weapons."

"Yes, but this time they were only used in self-defense. . .and Ill take them now." The brunette disarmed her and laid the crutches against the palm tree. "How about we walk on the beach until thing get cleaned up in there?"

The blonde looked down at her long skirt. "Walking in this _with_ the crutches is a little bit difficult. Without them, I think the walk will be impossible."

The skirt was too tight. She shouldn't have listened t Mac. She should have just wore a pair of shorts or something.

"No problem," the taller girl responded.

Spencer squealed when she was lifted by Ash and shrieked when she tossed the blond over her shoulder. Spencer never realized the extent of Ash's physical strength until now. Then again, Spencer was pretty light weight.

"What are you doing?" She asked, dangling upside down.

"Going for a walk."

Sand was being crossed at a pretty good rate. "This is ridiculous! Ash, put me down. My brain is getting scrambled."

"Not yet."

She tried to lift her head to see where they were going. Ash was almost at the water's edge. She turned left. But whose left was it? Ash's or hers? "I'm getting dizzy."

"I'll put you down in a minute."

"That might be too late," she complained. Although, she wasn't complaining at the same time. Being carried away by Ash to some serene place on the beach seemed like a pretty good idea to Spencer, secretly." I might get brain damage."

In a few seconds, she found herself being gently place on her feet next to two white lounge chairs. The water lapped the sand a couple of feet away. Spencer looked around, her head still spinning a little. She held onto Ash's shirt.

"I told you it would be too late. I can't see or think straight."

"Good," The brunette whispered, pushing the hair out of Spencer's face. She took the blonde's chin and lowered her mouth to hers. "If you're not thinking straight, then I can take advantage of you."

Ash kissed her, and every inch of Spencer's body came to life. Ash made her feel real. And her touch brushed away all the negative thoughts that had been buzzing in her brain. In the older girl's arms, she believed there were no limits to what they could do.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Spencer whispered, as soon as the other girl's lips lifted from hers. "I'm really sorry about the way I behaved. About my carelessness in approaching those two guys. I know you were trying to be protective of me."

"I'm sorry about leaving you all alone on the beach." Ash leaned down and kissed the young woman's shoulder.

"You were racing. . .or bumping and jumping. . .or whatever." She then smiled. "I wanted to be there."

"Really? Because I like being here way much better." Ash drew her into her arms again, and the blonde rested her head against the other girls chest. "You look really beautiful tonight." The music was playing once again at the party in the distance. Things appeared to have returned to normal.

Spencer nuzzled her head into Ash's neck, sighing in content. "Do you ink we should go back?" she reluctantly asked.

"No," Ash replied softly. Sitting down on one of the chairs, she pulled Spencer down with her. "I just want to stay here . . .with you."

Spencer nestled her back against the brunette's chest, and Ash's arms wrapped around her. They looked out in silence at the black water for a while.

"This is perfect," the blonde finally murmured with another sigh.

A brightly lit cruise sip was moving slowly across the dark waters in the distance. The thought came to Spencer that there was nowhere else she truly wanted to be in the world. Nowhere but in Ash's strong and secure arms. What she felt for Ash didn't frighten her anymore. She was ready to live her life.

"This is quite a dress," Ash said.

"You like it?"

"Way to much." she rubbed the fabric gently across Spencer's stomach. "We'll have to add it to the 'do not wear' list. . .unless you want your girlfriends hands all over you."

Spencer turned her head and pressed a kiss against the other woman's jaw. The blonde wanted Ash's hands all over her. She'd have to find another occasion to wear it.

"You got burnt today," the brunette said, pushing the blondes hair of her shoulder and kissing her fevered skin.

"Not burnt. Tanned."

"Is your tan painful?" Spencer could hear the smile in Ash's voice.

"Very. But only in a couple of places."

"Where?"

"My arms, face, back, chest, and my legs."

"Does it hurt here?" Ash's thumb brushed over the blonde's breast.

Spencer fond herself arching her back, lifting herself into Ash's hand. Sensations vibrated through her.

"No," she said softly. "It doesn't hurt there. Just everywhere else."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I wasn't burned there. You can see for yourself."

Spencer couldn't believe that she'd said the words, but it was too late. The brunette's fingers skillfully untied the string behind her neck. She almost bought a hand up to stop the older woman, but he touch of Ash's mouth on her neck numbed her.

The triangle of cloth dropped down. She felt the whisper of the breeze kiss her naked skin.

"You are so beautiful," the brunette said hoarsely, sliding her fingers beneath the blondes breasts.

Spencer thought she was going to die. She moved slightly in Ash's arms, wanting more, not knowing how to ask. A couple's voices came from somewhere behind them. Spencer immediately tensed, and Ash reluctantly pulled her shirt back up, tying it behind her neck.

"I have some great aloe cream for sunburn," Ash whispered in her ear. "It even smells good," she added, rather seductively.

"I'm not burnt," Spencer corrected. "I'm tanned."

"Excuse me. I have some great lotion for tans that hurt."

Spencer smiled. "Really" Where?" she asked, leaning to the side to see Ash's face.

"Back at the guesthouse."

Spencer threaded her fingers through Ashley's hair and bought her mouth closer until she could taste her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, if you come back there with me tonight, I'll spread his amazing lotion all over your body."

She swallowed. "_All _over?"

Ash nodded. "All over."

"You know, that could only lead to one thing."

She nodded. "But you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. And I don't have to do anything you don't want me to do. _I love you, Spencer_."

Spencer froze, staring into Ashley's Hazel eyes. They conveyed so much emotion. So much care, and love.

"I've never felt what I feel for you with anyone else in my life," she said, cupping the younger woman's face and bringing it closer to hers. "I've never wanted anyone else as much as I want you. I know this kind of talk makes you ready to run, but its okay. I just wanted you to know how I feel. As far as everything else, I'll wait as long as you-"

Spencer put a finger to her lips, silencing Ash. "I love you back, Ash. And you can do whatever you want to do to me, for all I care. There, I said it. And look, no thunderbolt appearing out of the sky to strike me. And no earthquake. I said it out loud and nothing horrible is happening."

No sooner had the words left her lips than she was aware of two figures standing not five feet from the chairs.

Lorenzo's nephew, Tony and one of the Gorillas that she'd seen at the restaurant moved toward the chair.

Tony was holding a gun in his hand.

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Wow, didn't this chapter just rock your socks off?? Come on, tell me what you think. Review this chapter, just because you think I'm awesome and all.

Thanks for all of chapter 22 reviews!

TTfN \m/


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Hey guys, yeah I know a lot of you are just wanting to slit my throat for leaving you all with a cliff hanger like that but I've been so busy lately. . . Being lazy of course. But seriously, I am going to try and update every 1 to 2 days until the story is finished. Even though my finals are coming up and my friend is having a coming out party(hint, hint), I'm still going to _try_ and update regularly for now on. Anyways, enough about my brainless rambling. . .ON TO THE STORY. .

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_Spencer put a finger to her lips, silencing Ash. "I love you back, Ash. And you can do whatever you want to do to me, for all I care. There, I said it. And look, no thunderbolt appearing out of the sky to strike me. And no earthquake. I said it out loud and nothing horrible is happening."_

_No sooner had the words left her lips than she was aware of two figures standing not five feet from the chairs._

_Lorenzo's nephew, Tony and one of the Gorillas that she'd seen at the restaurant moved toward the chair._

_Tony was holding a gun in his hand. . ._

_----_

The midnight hour had come and gone some time ago, and the crowd at the party was starting to thin out a little. The hard-core were still here, though, and they were having no problem making up for others in the dancing and drinking department.

Mackenzie watched Kate down another tequila and slither into the arms of Hans Something-or-Other, a young Dutch grad student who was standing by the dancing area and trying to look cool. Mac had gotten the scoop earlier. The guy was vacationing at one of the high-rise hotels. One of the Lizards-Beth, she thought it was-had met him this morning and invited him to the party.

Mackenzie hurried toward the beach in search of her guy, only to find him walking back. She met him by the end of the gardens.

"Did you see them?"

"No," he replied. He pointed to one of the palm trees. "But they've left Spencer's crutches right here."

"What are they doing here?"

"Got me. But at least it could mean they're still around."

Mac looked back toward the house. "I need to be getting home. Spencer new that I wanted to get out of her by midnight."

"Ash said the same thing to me. She didn't want to stay here that late even." Aiden her arm. "You and I both drove. I think you should go. I'll hand here and look around some more for them."

"Maybe I'll swing by the villa and give a quick knock on Ash's door. Spencer wasn't feeling too well tonight. I don't know why they would have, but maybe they hitched a ride with someone else and went home."

They both cast a doubtful look at the crutches.

"I'll keep looking here," he said.

Aiden walked Mackenzie to her car. She parked a god two hundred yards down the road. As they walked, they past a white car with the windows rolled down. Two men were sitting inside, listening to the radio. The night was too dark to see their faces. In the back of her mind though, Mac remembered Spencer telling her about the two men were following her around. In a white car.

Mac looked back at the car they just passed.

"Everything okay?" Aiden asked.

"Who were those guys?"

"I don't know, maybe cops. They seem to be keeping an eye on things." He shrugged.

"They don't seem to be a problem."

She hoped he was right.

Ten cars passed the white one, things were not so serene. A guy and a girl were going at in in the backseat of a SUV. There was a lot of giggling and groaning and at the exact same moment they were walking by, a woman's butt actually pressed against the side window for a few seconds.

"No problem there either," Aiden said, making her smile.

She stole a glance at him. Last night, after their dinner cruise, they'd have a few moments clinging to each other in the parking lot.

"You don't think anyone went by your car last night, do you?"

"Probably everyone leaving the boat did," he said lightly, putting an arm around her shoulder and bringing her close. "But compared to his production, I'd say our show was rated G."

"Now wait a minute," she said, reaching her car. "I had a little difficulty getting my dress to fit right, after that encounter."

He pressed his body against hers, trapping Mac against the car. "Well, I don't think my khakis fit right ever since."

She looped her arms around his neck and brought his mouth down to hers. As she kissed him thoroughly, his hands were all over his body. Finally she pulled back, trying to catch her breath.

His voice was a husky growl. "Do you want to come back to my place?"

Mac wanted to. She wanted to go with him. But she shook her head. "Not tonight. I'm already late getting back. And, to tell the truth, I have a really uncomfortably feeling about where Spencer and Ashley are. So will you. . .will you give me a rain check?"

"On the dries island in the Caribbean?" He kissed her lips. "You know I will."

"Thanks Aiden."

"I'll look some more around here, he said, straightening up. "We'll find them."

-----

The office phone rang. Arthur glanced at his watch first. It was ten after one(a.m.). Still no sign of Spencer. He answered the phone on the third ring. There was no greeting at the other end.

"Alto Vista Chapel," the voice said.

"Why there?" Arthur asked. The place was too open.

"I don't know," Lorenzo answered gruffly. "I only follow directions."

"What time?"

"There's a church service at 11:00. The delivery will be made at Mass."

Things were going from bad to worse. A public place would be full with tourists, as well as native Arubans.

"Can we make a change f location?"

"No," he answered. "I don't know where the seller is. Then call sounded like it was being made on Aruba, though. I could hear island music in the background, though the voice disguiser he was using made the music really bad."

"I swear to god," Arthur snapped. "I don't know why I'm paying you a commission. What if I don't want this to go down at the Alto Vista Chapel?"

"Look man," the chin answered cockily. "I'm making this work for you. You wanted this delivery to take place in Aruba. You got it. It's tomorrow, at 11:00, At the Alto Vista Chapel."

Arthur cursed under his breath. "You're going to be there."

"Of course! I need to collect."

Arthur hung up the phone and stared at it for a couple of minutes. He'd been in this business long enough to develop a sixth sense about people- a kind of an alarm system.

The alarm was buzzing now. Loudly. Alto Vista Chapel represented a change of plan. The alarm was telling him Lorenzo, the "Chin" was trying to stick it to him. But Arthur didn't know how.

Through the open doors of the office, Arthur saw the headlights of a car shine on the villa as it pulled I front. He knew that Ash had left her car behind, so this would be their ride bringing them home. Relieved, he opened a hidden safe in the bottom drawer of the desk and slid in the silver briefcase. Quickly, he locked everything up.

Things have'nt gone so well with Spencer today. Somehow, he had to make it up to her. He sure as hell didn't want to lose her. Despite his crazy hours and the demands of his job, he loved having her around. Actually, it surprised him. Looking at her, listening to her, learning about her life and her interests and plans made him feel whole. He hadn't failed completely. His life wasn't totally empty. He was the father of a great child. . .even if Paula did deserve most of the credit. Still, Spencer was his too. She was the one good thing that had come out of his disaster of a marriage.

Arthur wearily pushed to his feet and left his office. He could see the car headlights were out. Spencer still hadn't come in, though.

He'd thought some more about her relationship with Ash. Paula definitely didn't seem too worried about it. Hed been wound up enough to locate a number for her in India. It had been 5 in the morning her time when he called, and her new husband had answered the phone. Ben had been a hell of a lot more gracious than he had been: he just passed the phone over to Paula.

The former Mrs. Carlin had been her usual self, brusque to the point. After he'd told her his concerns, she reminded him that Spencer was seventeen. She asked him if he remembered the first time he had sex. That had stopped him. Then she asked him how old the girl was that he had sex with. That had finished him.

Still, he thought, it _had_ to be different between two girls. He remembered when Ashley offered to explain the process of love-making between two women. He shuddered and decided to forget about it all.

After ending his call with Paula, he opened the sliding glass door and walked out into the courtyard. The car outside had been left running. He heard a knock on the guesthouse door., followed by a women's voice calling softly.

He reached behind him and flipped the switch. The courtyard was immediately flooded by light.

"Spencer?" he called, walking toward the guesthouse.

"No Mr. Carlin, it's Mackenzie Spencer." She stepped off Ash's porch into the light.

Arthur was not exactly relieved to see the young woman alone. She and Spencer had gone off to the party together.

"Is Spencer back yet?" she asked before he could say anything.

"No. I thought she was at the party with you?"

"She was," she glanced over her shoulder at the cottage. "How about Ash? Do you know if she's back yet?"

"I don't think so." He walked past her, and she fell in beside him. "My understanding was that the two of them were to meet there."

"She did," she replied in a small voice.

"Maybe I'm making too much out of nothing.

"What's going on?" he asked, stopping abruptly.

"Probably nothing," she said gently. "Its just that we'd planned to leave around midnight, but they'd disappeared. I just got worried, but that doesn't mean anything."

They were standing by the guesthouse door. Arthur knocked on it a couple of times. Nothing. He doubted anyone was home. "When was the last time you saw them?"

Around nine o clock. . At the party."

Four hours. Christ.

"Do you know where they went?"

"For a walk on the beach, I think," she said. "Spencer left her crutches behind though."

Two young people on the beach. What could they do for four hours? A few things sprang Arthur's mind. He ran a hand down his face.

"I'm feeling low about coming to you with this and bothering you, sir," Mackenzie said quickly. "Its probably nothing, you know? The party is still going on. They're together. What could go wrong?"

That's right, Arthur told himself. _They're together. What could go wrong?_

_----_

_A/N Okay so here is all of chapter 24. 6 more to go until the story's finished(along with an epilouge). I heart you Spashley fanatics!!!!_


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Chapter 25 up and runnin'. Five more to go till this story is complete.

Thanks for all of Chap24 rewiews!

Now to see what's up with Spence and Ash. . .

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The wood floor in the bathroom was dirty. Not the kind of dirt that came from people using it. The dust and grit was from construction.

Spencer remembered when she was about twelve, she and a school friend had sneaked into a house that was being built in a lot in their neighborhood. The smell of the new wood and the wallboard made an impression on her. She could smell it now, too.

While she had the butterfly feeling in her stomach then because she was in some place she shouldn't have been, right now she had a cold stone about the size of a coconut sitting on her belly. And with no good reason, too, she thought. She and Ash had been kidnapped.

Ash had immediately put up a fight on the beach when their abductors appeared. With the cold muzzle of the gun pressed to Spencer's temple, Tony had explained that Ash had better cooperate or her girlfriend was dead. Spencer remembered Mackenzie's story, and fear unlike anything had washed through her. She had no doubt they would carryout their threat. She broke into a cold sweat, and her chest began to tighten, making it hard for her to breathe.

Ash's decision to stop fighting only brought slight relief, though. The creeps had dragged them to an SUV that was waiting not too far up the beach. Spencer had known right then the real danger was starting.

She just couldn't figure out what they wanted.

She pulled at the duct tape they used to bind their hands and feet. There was no way she was going to free herself. While Tony held the gun, the goon had taped their hands behind their back as soon as they got here.

She looked up at Ash. She'd succeeded in inching her way to the small single window. The moon was just starting to shed some light through it.

"See anything?" Spencer asked.

"Not yet." Ash moved to the side, trying to look from a different angle.

Tony had made them lie down on the car seat before throwing a blanket over them. Spencer didn't know exactly where they were, but the drive hadn't taken too long. They had to be in the northern part of the island. She had a feeling they went straight inland.

"There's another house about a hundred away to the left. It looks like they're still under construction, too. There is no sign of life anywhere."

"Perfect for holding us," the blonde whispered. Tomorrow was Sunday, which meant no one was coming to work on the house. They could be held here for at least 24 hours.

A few minutes after they were dumped here, she heard a car drive off. She had a feeling that one of their abductors - probably the gorilla- was still downstairs, though. It wasn't a warm feeling.

Ash turned away from the window. The blond saw her look around the dark room. The tub was the only thing that was installed. The sink and the toilet were only holes and copper pipes coming out of the wall. There were stacks of tiles in the corner. She knew what the taller girl was looking for- anything left behind that they could use to get loose. There was nothing though.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked.

"I don't know. . .maybe about 2 or 3 o'clock."

"Ash, do you think anyone has figured out that were missing?"

"Of course," she said, sliding down the wall that had the water pipe for the toilet sticking out.

She saw the brunette sit on the floor and try to rub the tape on the metal. "No one saw us being kidnapped," Spencer argued. "They might just assume. . .you know, you and I might be spending a romantic time on the beach."

"Well, this is pretty romantic, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A dream come true."

"Seriously, despite our disagreement, I think your father knows I wouldn't keep you out this late. At least, not without calling him."

After her own argument with Arthur this afternoon, Spencer figured her father would probably think she was trying to teach him a lesson. She heard someone walking across a floor downstairs, and she tensed. The way Tony had been eyeing her dress and making comments before made her feel sick to her stomach. They hadn't treated Ashley any better. They were silent until the footsteps stopped.

"What do you think they want?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Ash answered. "Its not like we come from families famous for having lots of money. If they were going to take somebody, why us? I don't get it."

"Taking us wasn't random. They know who you are."

"But so what? It's not like I'm an offspring of Gates or something."

Spencer didn't tell her she was probably the reason that their lives were now in danger. "There's something you should know," she said softly.

Ash recognized a change in her tone and stopped struggling with the pipes.

"The creeps that kidnapped us know me too. And I know them."

"You do?"

She quickly recognized her error. "I mean I know _of_ them. They were at the Brick Oven on the Thursday. Mac gave me the lowdown on them."

"Who are they?"

"The younger guy is named Tony. He's supposedly the nephew of Lorenzo the Chin."

"You've got to be kidding me. The guys name is The Chin?"

"That's what Mac said, and she seemed to know what she was talking about."

"Okay, so what is it about us that would make the Chin want to grab us?"

"So vulgar Ash. . . Babe," Spencer remarked.

"Spence, you know what I mean."

"Okay, okay. He was the dude who was hassling' me at the airport. You know, once you _finally _decided to pick me up and all." Spencer faux-exasperated.

Ashley smiled and rolled her eyes. "I still cant see why he would want to come after us."

"That day at the restaurant, when Mac and I saw them, Lorenzo was with these two other guys that she thought were Colombians and might be involved with drugs. And this is where everything gets ugly." She let out a shaky breath. "I think. . .I think we're here because of Arthur is involved in, and I think they were planning to take me. I think you were just an unexpected bonus. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You heard the phone call Tony made in the car. I think he was telling Lorenzo that there was a change of plans. . .that he had the two of us."

"Well, good thing I was with you when they decided to kidnap you. Wait, Arthur is involved with theses criminals?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know Spencer, " she said doubtfully. "Your father might have some job issues, but being mixed up

with criminals seems a little far-fetched."

"I'm telling you, he is." Spencer leaned her back against the tub. "I know he knows them. I just don't know for sure if he's doing something wrong."

"I cant believe your father is-"

"There's all this mysterious evidence," she said, cutting the brunette off. "All of this incriminating stuff. But I still want to trust him. I don't want to believe he'd knowingly do anything that would hurt me. Hurt us."

"What incriminating stuff?"

Spencer took a deep breath and startled at the beginning, telling him about the five passports she'd found in his desk, about the private phone line in the office, and how he always spoke in a different language when she was listening to his conversations. . .like he was hiding something. Finally she told Ash about seeing Arthur getting into a car with the Colombians she'd seen with Lorenzo.

"The sad thing is that I confronted him with all of this yesterday. I told him what I knew. I gave him a chance to explain it. But he didn't. He just walked away." She fought back the tears that were gathering in her eyes. "What am I going to believe except that he's mixed up in something illegal?"

Ash didn't say anything for the longest moment. She stretched her legs out in front of her. "Have you ever thought that your father might not be telling people the truth about his job?"

"Since I've been here, yes. But before that. . .?" Spencer looked at the other girl from across the room. "I don't know. Before this trip to Aruba, I hadn't seen him for three years. Why?"

"Because of something I've suspected of my own father."

"What do you mean?" She was all ears.

"Despite what I was told about him having a desk job in finance, I've had a suspicion that he always

worked in the field, as spy."

"Like, he was working for the CIA or something?" She asked, stunned.

"I think so."

"But, how did you find out? Did he tell you about tit?"

"No, never. But there were enough clues." Ash said. "Odd things. Such as passports you discover in Arthur's desk. But I think the final thing that convinced me happened about six months before he left his job. He was supposedly doing an audit of some government office in Idaho. My mom got a call one night. A car came and they flew her to Turkey to visit him in a hospital."

"Was he sick?"

"I wasn't suppose to know, but she was a wreck when she was leaving. She was almost hysterical. I pried it out of her that he had been wounded."

"Tough audit," Spencer said quietly.

She shook her head. "My father and Arthur started working together. I think Arthur might be in the same business. He doesn't have five passports and different identities because he's making a buck on the side working for drug dealers. There is something much bigger involved."

"And I screwed it up,' the blonde said, horrified.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The first day at the airport, I told Lorenzo that my dad is a high-ranking official for the U.S. government. I thought he was just a boring clerk. I might have exposed him to his enemies."

"You cant blame yourself for that." Ash lowered her voice. "The important thing to remember is that if all of our assumptions are right and Arthur is CIA or in some other government agency, then at least we have a chance. Creeps like these guys aren't going to outsmart him."

Spencer hoped Ash was right. At the same time, she couldn't stop the guilt piling up for all the doubts she'd had about her father. He deserved better.

More than anything right now, she wished she could get a second chance.

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Review please! It makes me smile. . .Which makes me update faster. . .which makes the world go round.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Hey there. . .miss me? Yeah been gone for awile but I'm back again. Loads of shmit I had to deal with.

Disclaimer: Don't own SoN nor Tropical kiss

Chapter26 up. . .4 more to go!

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"I left Leiter there, sir. He's trying to get close enough to have a look into the party."

Arthur stared over the roof of the white car at the dark windows of the guesthouse. He fixed his gaze on the driver again. "You sure they didn't get by you. . .They didn't leave with anyone?"

The driver shook his head. "No sir. Had a good spot to watch the door of the villa. Everyone was coming and going through that door. We saw the two friends leave, but they left without your daughter and Ash. I think they're still in the house."

"What makes you think that?"

"When I left to drive here, here were still eight cars outside the residence. The band was still there, though the music had stopped. They were still partying sir."

In his entire career, Arthur had never run an operation in his own backyard. He'd never allowed the risk of his own family getting involved.

Not until this summer. This weekend

He had two of his operatives keeping an eye on Spencer for the past couple of days. They had specific orders to be discreet, but to make sure no harm came her way.

"And you still think Spencer and the senator's daughter are still in that beach house in Malmak?"

"Yes sir. They didn't leave by the front door. We would have seen them."

"What about the beach itself?" He could see the gentlemen squirm slightly in the seat of the white car. "Tell me you had sight of the beach."

The driver looked straight ahead. "No sir. We didn't. There was no way to watch the beach without drawing attention."

They could still be in the villa. They could have gone down to the beach for privacy and returned when Mac and Aiden left the party. They could be sitting in a dark corner somewhere. They could be in one of the villa's bedrooms, for al he knew. Still, somethig wasn't right. It was getting late. Very late. Never mind about calling dear old dad. They weren't so thoughtless that they wouldn't let their friends know where they were.

Arthur drummed his fingers on top of the car. He wasn't sure this was the type of thing Spencer had ever done before. He knew Paula wouldn't appreciate it if he called her again tonight asking. H wouldn't do that to her anyway. Long-distance parenting was hell. She'd taken care of so many crisis on her own, understanding how helpless he'd be from afar. It was his turn.

Besides, Aruba was a very safe island. He'd have reason to be a lot more worried if she was late coming home in Cincinnati, or D.C. No, he had to trust her. He had no choice. Not with what he had going on in the morning to worry about her. He had to focus on what he had in front of him. There was too much at stake.

"You want me to check the beach, sir?"

"Yes I do. I want you to find out if they're the house or on the beach. I want you to contact me with any information you have. But I want you to watch the house for only another hour."

"You want us back here, then?"

"No, I need you to go to the Alto Vista Chapel."

"You changed the drop point?"

"They did. We need to get there early and set up before anybody shows up." Arthur put both hands on the driver door. "You and Leiter need to be in position someone in the area. Lorenzo is acting a little funny, and

we need to cover ourselves."

"We'll be ready sir."

"Right," Arthur said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "You have one hour at the beach. Find those kids."

-----

"They're back," Ash whispered from the window. "The jaguar and another car just pulled up."

"Great," Spencer said tiredly, stretching her neck from side to side. Every part of her body was either numb or aching. While leaning against Ash, she dozed off for a few minutes around dawn. But Ash had been up and working herself toward the window soon after that.

"That weasel Tony brought company this time."

"Who is it?"

"Your friend Lorenzo the Chin is with him. There's also a guy who looks like a clone of the gon who was with Tony."

Spencer remembered him too. A tremor ran through her as Mackenzie's words rushed back. These guys were bad to the bone.

"I'm afraid," she whispered.

Ash turned to her. "Don't be. Were going to need every ounce of our courage. We have to work our way out of this.

Spencer noticed that the brunette wasn't referring to anyone else coming and rescuing them anymore. She wondered of Ash was losing hope too.

Voices echoed through the house. Someone was coming up the stairs. Ash moved away from the window and worked herself close to the blonde before sliding down to the floor. The door opened and Tony walked in, holding something under one arm.

He looked from one to the other, a grin on his face. They were sitting a couple of feet apart. Come on. I only tied your hands and feet. I expected you two lovebirds would have made the most of what might be your last night together.

"Why don't you keep your scum-sucking mouth shut, you pervert!" Ash spat out.

"Nice manners college lesbian girl. Maybe I should shut _your_ mouth."

"_Vamos_! Tony!" Lorenzo shouted from downstairs. "We cant be late."

Tony tossed what he had under his arm onto Spencer's lap. It looked like a dress. "Wear this. E don't want you looking like you just came from a beauty pageant."

"I'm sure that's going to happen," she answered.

"Just change, blondie."

"And how an I supposed to do that with my wrists taped together?"

"No problem, I'll do it for you." Tony took another step toward her as Lorenzo shouted to him again. He was lucky she was tied up because Ashley was sending him murderous gazes.

When he hesitated, Spencer knew she had to make use of the opportunity. "I need to go to the bathroom. . . bad!"

Tony scowled and took a folding knife out of his pocket. Spencer tried not to wince as he grabbed her roughly by the arms and stood her up. Two quick slashes and her hands were free. But she had no feeling in them.

"Change," he ordered.

"My feet too," she told him, forcing herself to gain courage. "And I have to use the bathroom."

"Use this one," he said motioning to the drainpipe in the floor. It was plugged with a rag.

Have it your way, I'll pee in the dress." she picked it up off the floor.

A string of words she thought were Papiamento and Spanish came from downstairs. Spencer had no doubt they were profanities.

"Vaya con Diablo!" Tony cursed. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

He leaned down and slashed at the tape that bound her left ankle to the cast on her right foot.

Come with me." He pushed her roughly out the door.

When they went downstairs, she saw Lorenzo standing by a window in the front room dialing a number on his cell phone. A feeling of nausea hit her as the Chin looked over at her and leered. He mouthed the words "you're mine" before turning his attention back to the call.

She was relieved Tony steered her through a half finished kitchen, where she saw the two gorillas standing at a corner and eating fast food breakfast sandwiches. It was a lot easier complaining to Tony than would be to Lorenzo. Maybe it was the Chins age, or maybe it was the fact that she knew he'd carve a bloody path to make himself what he was. Whatever, she knew she wouldn't get much compassion from the older man.

As they went down the short hallway, Spencer realized that Tony had left the door open for Ash. Not that the brunette could go anywhere, the blonde thought.

There was a half bathroom next to the kitchen. This one had a toilet installed, but there was no water in it.

"This will have to do," Tony said, pushing her in and closing the door. "Hurry up."

Spencer changed quickly. The dress they'd given her was a plain green uniform-like one a hotel employee would wear. She figured they must have stolen it. But she didn't care. She much preferred to go around in something like this rather than the risqué dress she had worn for the party. She went to the bathroom. Tony said "hurry up."

Spencer's cast crunched on something on the floor. She looked down. It was a thin peace of broken mirror. She picked it up and slid it carefully inside her cast. Coming out of the bathroom, she heard Lorenzo's voice. He was talking to someone on the phone in English. "I'll have the files by non,' he said. "Si, Ill fly out this afternoon. You can have the auction tomorrow. Guaranteed. I have insurance." Pause. "Carlin will do business. He has no choice."

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A/N: Rewiew and tell me what u think?


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys, I'm finaly getting around to finishing this story I know, I know, ive been promising to do it like, 2 months ago. But I swear now that I'll have it complete by the end of next week. **

**It's short and I'm mad about it, but it's just a filler chapter... or more like an appetizer.**

--

The bright yellow Alto Vista Chapel sat in the center of an open area atop a rocky hill overlooking the blue Caribbean

The bright yellow Alto Vista Chapel sat in the center of an open area atop a rocky hill overlooking the blue Caribbean. A low stone wall formed a perfect square around the tiny chapel. Each side of the square measured exactly one hundred feet long. Within the square, mustard-yellow benches had been laid out in four concentric semicircles that radiated from the two wide wooden doors. The doors opened to reveal the colorful interior of the chapel and the carved oak alter.

Outside of the wall, narrow roads led back toward the living village of Noord. Aside from a few houses situated some distance from the chapel, though, the place was isolated.

In short, Arthur thought as he looked around him, it was a security nightmare.

The sun was already hot, and the sky was as blue as Dutch tile. The breeze coming in from the sea swirled around him as he walked to where the techies were putting the finishing touches on video and audio devices that would capture the event about to take place. Everything was wireless, of course. Three small cameras, no larger than pens, would take in the entire area, as well as focus in on the bench where the delivery would be made. Two had been positioned on the roof of the chapel, and one on the hinge of one of chapel doors. Two more had been placed outside the stone walls.

Technicians were wiring the two men that had been positioned as Columbians. Arthur himself had been already wired.

Everyone had been playing their part perfectly so far. If the renegade agent Arthur and his group had been working to ferret out for eight months had been on the island for any length of time, then he would only have seen Lorenzo wining and dining them. A perfectly natural activity.

Something was going on with Lorenzo, though. Arthur could feel it. In his mind, he went through the steps of the operation, trying to see if he'd missed something. For more than a year, Homeland security had been getting reports that a renegade agency had been operating within the Agency. Whoever it was, had been selling information about individual CIA operatives working undercover across the globe. When rumors began to surface that the traitor was looking for a buyer for a master list of operations in South America, Arthur had been called in. Word was that the list contained not only he identities of hundreds of operatives working in South America, but also their defined missions and their connections inside a dozen governments.

A plan was formulated. Rumors were calculated that Arthur, who had earlier been in Colombia, was being informally investigated for "inappropriate behavior." The rumors were vague about what he was suspected of doing, but he was immediately transferred to Aruba, where he was to pose as an Energy Department bureaucrat stationed there.

There, the plan called for Arthur to "acquire" a shady middleman who had a history of brokering deals with South American drug cartels. The middleman, Lorenzo the Chin, bought into the scheme immediately. The U.S. government would pay him half a million dollars simply to broker the deal.

Lorenzo immediately put out word that he had a buyer for information about CIA operations in South America. His buyers, who would appear to be Colombians, would actually be CIA operatives. Their cover was that they were going to sell the information to interested parties from Caracas to Velparaiso.

It didn't take long for word to come back to Lorenzo. The transfer of information for money could occur in Aruba-of American soil-while funds were wired to an account in the Caymans.

As the time grew closer to the sell, Lorenzo notified the seller that the Colombian buyers were hesitant to transfer the hefty price without some verification that he list was genuine The South Americans were demanding a way to verify the information they were buying.

Arthur was their man for that.

The trap was laid. The fake Colombians would fly in to oversee the deal. Arthur would meet the seller in a public place. The seller would pass on the list to Arthur, who would verify is accuracy and tell the buyers to transfer the money. The seller would be in communication with his banker via cell phone.

What the seller would not know, however, is that Arthur's people would be recording the entire transaction, and as soon as the renegade agent went back to the United States, Homeland security and the FBI would be there to arrest him.

"Lets go, people," he shouted. "we need everyone out of here now."

The religious service was at 11:00.

He glanced at his watch. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the villa. Nothing. He called the guesthouse next. Nothing. He'd found Spencer's phone on her dresser. So much for taking it with her. He shook his had and put the phone away.

He was going to have to kill the two of them, pure and simple.

Within fifteen minutes the site was cleared-with the exception of himself and the "Colombian" buyers, who were sitting in their stretch limo.

He thought through the plan one more time and took one more deep breath.

They were ready. As he looked at the open doors of the chapel, though, he'd wish he'd said a silent prayer.

He had a feeling they were going to need it.

--

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no spashley I know. But they're kinda tied up at the moment... heh inside joke.

Review and tell me how boring this chapter was... "you can punish me if you want, i'm into S&M." -ye' ole' _dutche_ movie


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 is finally complete. **

**My apologies for any misplelled words or grammer issues. English is not my second language; it's my third. Nevertheless, enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own SoN or TK**

**--**

The Jaguar pulled in around the traffic and parked behind a black limo in the circular driveway of the Alto Vista Chapel

The Jaguar pulled in around the traffic and parked behind a black limo in the circular driveway of the Alto Vista Chapel. Spencer looked through the tinted-glass windows at the large group of people who'd gathered for the Sunday service. Most of the benches outside were full, and there were a few people sitting on the stone walls that went around the place. She spotted Lorenzo and one of his gorillas sitting on the last bench, close to the stone wall. They appeared to be saving a few seats between them.

Spencer searched the audience for her father. She thought she saw him sitting a few rows in front of Lorenzo, next to the two Colombians. They were seated toward the outside end of the bench. She bumped Ash with her shoulder. The brunette nodded. She'd seen Arthur too.

She hoped the brunette was right about everything. She wanted to believe that Arthur was doing the right thing. That he was on the right side of the law.

More than anything though, she hoped he would kick Lorenzo's ass and rescue her and Ash.

Tony had left the car running. The windows were closed, the air-conditioning blasting. The goon next to him in the passenger seat took out his gun and started screwing an extension to the end of the weapon.

"Silencer," Tony said, grinning at the blonde in the mirror. "Sometimes a job must be done quiet."

When they put them in the car to bring them here, Tony had cut the duct tape off of Ash's leg too. Thanks to Spencer's whining, they'd taped their hands in front of them. On the way to the chapel, she'd been able to reach inside her cast, pull out the shard of mirror, and slide it into Ash's hands. Since then, she'd seen the older girl position it under her tan leg and work on cutting through the tape binding her wrists whenever the two in front weren't looking. Spencer didn't look at her, but she knew Ash was working at it now.

"Are we getting out?" Ash asked irritably from next to her.

"Not right now, college girl," Tony told her.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Spencer whined.

"_Jesucristo! _You went back at the house."

"I have to go again," she said persistently.

"Well, you have to wait."

Ash's elbow moved and bumped her. Spencer's arguing was giving Ash a chance to work faster.

"How long?" she asked.

"Until I say you can get out of the car."

"Nice leather seats," she commented. "Sorry I'll be messing them up soon."

"You are truly the biggest pain in my ass, you know that?"

"How long do I have to wait?" she persisted.

"I don't know. Maybe an half an hour. Mass is starting right now."

"I cant wait till Mass is over."

"You don't have to wait that long, Blondie. If your papa cooperates, you'll be back in his arms long before Mass is over."

Spencer looked at Ash. That meant they had very little time.

**--**

"Mind if we sit here?" a woman's voice whispered.

Arthur looked at the two young tourists who were standing at the end of the row, waiting for him to move the newspaper.

"Yeah, I do." he said shortly. For a second, he thought the guy was going to argue. But then, he seemed to think it over and they moved off. Arthur glanced at his watch. It was 11:10. The service had started, but there was no sigh of him.

A shadow moved over the seat. He looked up. Another woman, this one wearing a broad-brimmed hat and large sunglasses. There was little of her face visible.

"The seat is taken."

"Yes, I know." She leaned down and picked up the newspaper. "Thank you for holding it for me."

Arthur looked at the woman. He didn't know her. He wasn't even sure if he was dealing with his contact until she opened a large bag on her lap and pulled out a small electronic deice. It was a hand-held computer. She passed it to him.

"Everything is here," she said in a low voice. Arthur wondered if she was the renegade agent, or the spouse or girlfriend of someone on the inside. One thing was certain, though, they wouldn't be getting a good picture of her face. He took a cell phone out of his pocket.

"How do I work it?" he whispered, juggling the cell phone in his other hand

She leaned toward him. "Let me show you." She picked it up and handed to him. He let it sit between them on the bench.

With her help, he opened the file and started screening through the names on the spreadsheet. She'd organized it alphabetically. Actual names and aliases of operatives, along with addresses, phone numbers, and latest assignments. Some of them he knew. It was a death sentence for every operative on the list. He went to the C's. His name was first on the list. All of the information was accurate, with the exception of this assignment. Only the director of the CIA and two high-ranking members of Homeland Security knew his real mission.

He turned to the "buyers" and nodded.

The one next to Arthur, leaned towards the seller, whispering, "How do we know the only copy your selling?"

"You have my word," she said in a low voice.

"Honor among thieves?" Arthur whispered.

"You and I are the same kind of people, Mr. Carlin." She lowered her glasses slightly to look in his face, Her eyes were blue. "Not thieves, just entrepreneurs. We make the most of our opportunities."

"Is this a one-time deal or can we look forward to doing business in the future?" the other "buyer" asked.

"I'm definitely building his business. By September, I'll be putting on an auction for a similar list"-her voice was barely audible now-"of the operatives in the Middle East. That That one will be a very high ticket item, but you're welcome to join the bidding."

"I am certainly interested," the same agent whispered.

"The transfer of money, gentlemen?"

Arthur picked up his phone and dialed. His contract answered.

"We couldn't pick up her fingerprints the first time she touched the phone," said the operative at the other end. "Have her handle it again."

Arthur made himself look very annoyed. "You had her account number. Here she is, she can tell you the number herself." He handed her the phone. "Sorry"

She stared at him for a moment, then took the phone. Opening a folded paper in her bag, she quickly read the numbers to the banking account. She handed the phone back to him.

Arthur spoke into the phone. "Everything all set?"

"Bingo. it's a she and not a he. We have her. Now let her swim away. We'll have a warrant for her arrest by the time she makes it back to America."

Arthur ended the call. "Its all set."

She took out her own cell phone and dialed her bank. Everything was as expected. She nodded.

"Nice doing business with you gentlemen." She got up and walked away.

Arthur felt himself tense up as Lorenzo slid onto the bench next to him. He said nothing to the middleman, but picked up the briefcase and handed it to him.

Lorenzo took it and stretched his hand out to Arthur "Now the list."

"What do you mean?"

"Keep your voice down," Lorenzo hissed. "And don't try to stall and give the rest of your spy friends time to arrive."

He motioned toward the back. Arthur looked and his blood froze in his veins.

Spencer was standing by the black Jag. One of Lorenzo's thugs was standing next to her, his right hand hidden behind her back. There was no question in Arthur's mind that the goon was holding a gun to her.

"I'm taking that list, and then I'll give you your daughter."

Lorenzo reached for the hand-held computer." A fair trade, don't you think?"

--

Well, don't you think so?


	29. Chapter 29

Yay only one more chapter to go... and I promise that one is going to be long.

Thank you to all my readers and even more thanks to all of my reviewers. I think I'm going to do a shout out to all of yall(from the first to the last) on my final chapter.

Now on to the goodies!

--

The Jags windows facing the chapel were open.

Before they'd made her get out of the car, Spencer had seen a woman come and talk to Arthur and then leave. When Lorenzo moved up to sit beside her father though, Tony cut the tape off her wrists and told her to get out of the Jaguar.

The gorilla kept a hand on her arm and now stood next to her, jabbing the gun into her back.

She was shaking inside, and she had no clue what was going on. Whatever it was though, she knew she was being used to get something from Arthur.

And all the while, Mass just continued all along. The priest was standing at the lectern giving a sermon in English and Papiamento.

"Do you really have to jab that thing into me?" she complained, knowing that she had to somehow ruin whatever Porcupine butt was engineering here.

Arthur turned around at that moment and looked at her. Lorenzo continued to speak to him.

She gave her father a slight wave

"Don't be nervous, Spencer," Ash said from behind her. "You know what that does to you."

"You shut up." Tony said from the front seat.

"Breathe deep Spencer. Don't let them get to you," Ash continued.

The blonde got what she was saying Asthma attack. Spencer drew a deep breath and then another.

"Don't be scared. Just keep breathing."

"What's going on?" Spencer heard Tony ask.

She forced herself to cough a couple of times Then she started taking deep painful breaths in short succession.

"Cool it." The gun dug harder into her back.

"I cant. . .I can't breathe," she managed to say.

"The stress gets to her," Ash sad urgently. "She has asthma. She needs her inhaler or else she's going to pass out."

"Bring her back inside the car," Tony ordered.

It was too late. Spencer staggered forward a step, acting woozy, coughing a little bit more.

"Help me," she gasped as loud as she could "I can't breathe."

She half turned to see the gorilla scrambling to hide the gun in his belt. Tony was trying to get his door opened. She stumbled toward the wall, obviously struggling for air.

The back two rows of people had turned around and were looking at her. She heard the car doors open and decided the moment had come.

She went down on her face in a pretend faint.

--

Tony and the goon rushed to her. Ash gave one last slash with the shard mirror and felt the tape give.

She yanked her hands free.

They were a bloody mess but she didn't care. She reached over the sea, grabbed the keys out of the ignition and shoved her door open.

Coming around the car, she pegged the keys as hard as she could over the chapel roof.

They flashed in the sunlight as they flew out of sight. She wasn't going to make it easy to get Spencer out of here, even if they did drag her back to the Jag.

It was unbelievable, but the priest was still talking. He wasn't taking any notice of the commotion they were creating.

Tony and the goon were trying to peel Spencer off the road.

"Call for help, this girl is dying," Ash yelled from the top of her lungs, running towards them.

As Tony turned, Ash put her shoulder right into the scumbag's face, slamming him into the gorilla and sending all three of them sprawling into the dirt beyond Spencer.

--

Spencer heard Ash yell and then felt a wind when she blasted into the creeps who were pawing at her. The big one let go of her, but the collision knocked her a coupe of feet along the ground.

As the two men and Ash sailed over her, she felt herself roll up against the low wall, her cast cracking hard against the stone.

She wondered of her prayers would be heard, considering the fact that she was lying outside of the wall.

Chaos had broken out inside the chapel wall. Shouts and fighting quickly out an end to the Mass.

She could even hear the priest yelling in Papiamento. Several women were shrieking, a baby was crying, and soon, people were jumping over the stone wall near her, and running off.

She figured with her limited mobility, it was safest all the way around if she just stayed where she was.

She heard cars racing into the parking lot, the sounds of sirens in the distance, and then the horns of cars trying to leave soon drowned out almost everything else.

Within minutes, though, the brawl subsided, and she felt someone rolling her onto her back.

Spencer blinked her eyes at the priest, trying to put the mask of portable oxygen tank over her mouth.

"No, wait! I-" she didn't get the next word out before the mask descended.

As she tried to push the priests had away, another face appeared over her. It was her father.

"Spencer!"

She succeeded in getting the mask off of her and reached up.

"I'm so sorry ," she whispered as he gathered her into his arms. " I didn't know what was going on. I thought you were-"

"Its okay, Spencer," he said, holding her. "Everything is okay."

She looked around wildly. "Where's Ash?"

"She's right there. My men are just checking out the cuts on her hands."

Spencer looked around and saw that Ash, indeed was alright. She was arguing with one of the paramedics about her hands.

Every time the guy tried to take her hand and wipe it with antibacterial, she would yank it back and start yelling in his face that she could do it herself.

Ashley hated being fussed over. She believed in being independent.

The blonde smiled to herself and figured she needed to find a way to thank Ash for helping them escape the goons.

"And Lorenzo?"

"You cant see them from here, but he and his thugs are lying on their faces over there, handcuffed and waiting for the Aruban police to take them away. Kidnapping is a serious crime, especially here in Aruba." Arthur pushed the hair out of her face. "I was worried about you. Are you hurt?"

She pressed her face against his chest. "No, Dad. Not anymore."

-- Next Day--

With everything going on, I cant believe you're missing work for this," Spencer told her father as they sat waiting for the X-ray technician to develop and read her films.

"Hey, there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now."

Spencer felt her throat tighten at his words. She looped an arm through his as they sat in

the hospital waiting room.

"Still, you didn't have to. I have to come back Thursday anyway."

"I'll come back then, too."

"But how are you making out with all of that mess from yesterday?"

"Actually, things are going pretty smoothly," he said.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"No."

"Will you ever tell me what happened?"

"Probably not."

"Will you at least tell me that Lorenzo and his creepo goons have been put away?"

"The Aruban authorities have seen to that. They're not going to see the light of day for a long, long time."

She gave him a narrow stare. "Will you tell me what king of business dealings you have with him?"

Arthur held her hand. "Don't ask, baby. I cant tell you."

It didn't matter if her told her. They crossed a threshold yesterday.

Spencer thought about how far they'd come. She trusted him. She no longer thought he was involved in illegal activities. He didn't wasn't to mess up his life or their relationship.

She knew she meant a lot to her father. She had a feeling that they both knew they were a family again. Ash included.

The Orthopedian soon came back with good news. The X-rays looked excellent. There was no point in waiting till Thursday. The cast could come off today.

Spencer was thrilled.

"Last day of using them," Arthur told her, looking at the crutches as they went down the hall. "You can leave them here."

Spencer laughed as she walked with him to the treatment room. Her father smiled.

--

REVIEW! It's the least you can do.

And I hope I did an okay job at grammer and spelling corrections...


	30. Chapter 30

**First off, I would like to give a special thanks to everyone who ever left me a review:**

**AbsoluteGarbage, lalalalee, arh1986, DaPhoenix, cyberauthor, Kate529, unknownfuture04, Raving through life, SuperGirl06, xena120, raisedinashes, Rocmis, taymm15, em-doll, xxMaNdYxx, idrinktogetdrunk, luvspashley13, pril, Little Miss Conceited, booIczu, NotxxWhatxxItxxSeems, Stokley27, sweetdebie, sexyluv07, JosseylnR. , 1treehillcharmed, lilce1992, DaniZGE, nerb88, spashley20, BeMyPenguin3, slickchick84, GraydonGirl, madam-xt, Loves-Love-92, i like what you say, GhostWalker561, Hplova4eva, erasexmyself, sooragameela87, uncsoftbalgirl08, EvilerGenius, DanI Boi The Cripple, Kirky123, crazywhitegurl08, shigurl1988, breadstickphonehome, BorstalBreakout, spashley16, clearwatergurl99, LKOcean, ProfaneMakeInsane, sammythegreatsockrocker, the jehsinator, niecyx3, Athenax5424, dttdemon, Lunarcycle, hotcutii3, Eaglesenior, physcob2002, NoUrPlans, Catastrofairy, doubleclique, xDloverx, chrissieWOW, UtsuroKuri, xxChikitakissesxx, audiodream **(if I messed up anyone's name, don't hesitate to let me know.)

**It's the FINAL Chapter! I'm very proud of myself for finishing this story, even if it took me a long time to do so.**

**And now to see how it all boils down. . .\m/**

--

--six weeks later--

Spencer knew these couple of hours they were spending at the natural Pool would probably be the last she and Ash would have together alone before she flew back to Cincinnati tomorrow.

Paula and her new husband were back home, and she'd been calling everyday, insisting that Spencer come back ten days earlier than originally planned.

To Spencer's shock, her father had gone along with it, too. Both of them had used excuses about the change of school and registration and getting ready.

Spencer was fed up with all of it. She didn't want to go. It was only the first week of August. Three weeks before school started. Neither of them were giving her a chance, though.

Arthur was booting her out. Here's your ticket, see you later.

And frankly, it hurt. She thought they were having a great summer together. She knew they were.

"Do you think it'll be another three years before I see him again?" she asked Ash as they climbed back up on a smooth rock ledge. The pool was formed by rocky outcroppings fifteen feet high or more. Much of the rock had been smoothed by eons of tidal surges, and the pool was deep and blue and clear.

"No," Ash said, taking her snorkeling equipment and putting it with hers on the rocks. "I don't think either of you would let that happen."

"But it could be," she said sadly. "He wont let me ask any questions about what he's doing next or where he's going. It's like I cant even call him and say 'hey dad, can I come and visit this weekend?"

"Why not?" The brunette reached over and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Spencer's ear. "I think you should do exactly that. Keep him on his toes."

"Yeah. Sure. I'm sure he'd just love to have me create another disaster for him in Italy, or Jamaica, or the Netherlands, or Australia or wherever he's going." Spencer sighed.

"You didn't create any disasters. Everything worked out exactly the way they planned it. I believe his operation was a great success." Ash leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"How do you know that?" Spencer asked suspiciously.

"Oh you know how it is. It's a _guy_ thing. With the exception of the guy part. _Male_ bonding and all that." Ash winked at her.

"That's not fair. Just because your dating a guys daughter, you get all the privileges of a guy." Spencer shoved her and Ash slid all the way down into the water.

When the brunette didn't surface immediately, Spencer scrambled down the edge.

"Ash!" she yelled.

At that moment, Ash surged up and grabbed the blonde's ankle, dragging her into the water.

"Ouch! Coral Sting! That hurt!" she sputtered as she surfaced. "You are such a brute."

"You started it."

"You didn't have to retaliate," Spencer scolded. "I'm leaving tomorrow. You should let me get away with things for a change."

"You really think so?" Ash asked, gathering Spencer against her.

The blonde nodded, liking the way Ash looked at her, the way her arms were sliding over her body.

"What should I let you gat away with now?" Ash asked hoarsely

Spencer looked around. They were still the only two in the pool.

"I'll just settle for this. She wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck and kissed her deeply.

Waves crashed over the rock barrier at the ocean side of the pool and sprayed over them.

Warm water washed around them, pushing their bodies even closer until they might have been molded out of one flesh.

This would be the most painful part. Walking away from Ash. Spencer was in love with her. It was that simple. And she believed the other girl when she said she felt the same way.

For so many weeks, they practically have been inseparable. Having her cast off had given her the freedom to explore the island. She and Ash had done all the things the Blonde couldn't do before. Swimming, Sailing, Rock climbing, and Snorkeling. She'd even taken classes in scuba diving, and Ash taught her how to windsurf.

They'd had so much fun.

Now that Lorenzo was gone, Spencer felt so much safer as she and Ahs roamed the island. She'd been even more relieved when she read in the newspaper that the Chin was sentenced to a lengthy prison time.

By now, her summer was over. She hadn't left yet, and she was already missing Ash.

Tears trickled down her lashes, and the brunette kissed them away. She cupped Spencer's face, his hazel eyes looking into hers.

"Don't. Were not going to do this, remember? Two weeks. That's all. I'm coming to Cincinnati to see you n two weeks."

Ash told her that before. "It isn't the next time we see each other that worries me. It's all the times after that," Spencer said.

"We're going to work it out, Spencer."

"Do you know there are two thousand four hundred and seventy nine miles from LA to Cincinnati?"

"You've been checking, huh?" Ash said with amusement.

Spencer nodded. "Map quest. And that's going to shortest route."

Ash laughed, gathering the blonde tight against her chest. She pressed a kiss o Spencer' forehead. "It doesn't take too long for me to get to LAX."

Spencer pouted. "But there's the driving to the airport, and the driving time back. You might get tired of it."

"Ill never get tired of it, Spencer." Her hands rubbed the Blonde's back, caressed her hair.

She lifted Spencer's chin and this time the kiss was hotter.

Spencer responded. She could feel the sexual heat between their bodies rise. Suddenly, Ash broke the kiss.

"We have to get back to the cottage," The brunette said.

"Why?" she asked shyly.

"So I can put that aloe cream on your back." Ash smirked. "You're getting burned again."

"Tanned," Spencer said a little indignantly.

"Right. But we can't let you get too tanned." She lifted Spencer out of the water and onto the rocks. She climbed out after her.

Spencer knew they had to get somewhere safe. This was the way their passion run. Hot, explosive. They both worked at being careful, though.

A good choice, too, she thought as they picked up their towels and shoes. She could see a group of tourists just starting down the path from the parking lot at the top of the cliff.

They were heading for the natural pool.

Ash picked up their snorkeling equipment and held them with her towel in front of herself.

Spencer couldn't help but laugh and wrapped a towel around herself before walking up ahead of Ash on the wing-ding path back towards the car.

They past the tourists on a long set of stairs going up the side of the cliff. They exchanged some pleasantries about the beautiful weather and the breezes and temperature of the water as they went by.

At the car, Spencer peeled off the towel and put it on her seat. She was searching for her sundress when Ash came up behind her. The brunette ran a finger just under the strap of her bikini top.

"You're definitely getting too much sun today. I wont forgive myself if after all of these weeks you end up with sun poisoning."

Spencer turned in Ash's arms and kissed her chin. "I think we finished the tube of aloe yesterday afternoon in the guesthouse," she whispered. "Maybe we should stop on the way home and get some more?"

Ash reached around Spencer and grabbed a drugstore bag from the backseat. The blonde peeked inside. Ash was definitely prepared. . .the only thing Spencer asked for now was that the two of them be given some privacy for at least the rest of the morning.

And maybe some of the afternoon.

--

Spencer only got part of her wish. They were able to get back home and showered together in her bathroom. . .for old times' sake. That was where she had gotten stuck and Ash had seen her naked for the first time. They both wanted another memory to add to that one.

The phone was ringing as she stepped out of the shower.

It was Mackenzie's mother, reminding Spencer that she had to come by and pick up her last paycheck. No sooner that she hung up when Paula called from Cincinnati, asking for the fourth time about Spencer's flight schedule.

While on the phone, Ash walked out of the bedroom clad in a sports bra and boy shirts. Her body was naturally toned and fit. She was putting her hair into a quick messy bun.

Spencer continued to admire Ash while Ash walked to the fridge and almost forgot about her conversation with her mother.

"-and Spence, you have to see and shop at their markets with me sometime in the future. I swear, you've never seen so many people and stands in one setting. I met this one lady who-"

"Yeah, mom. I kinda gotta go. So, talk to you later."

"Oh, right honey. Sure, call me with any more news or schedule flight changes."

After the phone call, Spencer walked into the kitchen to find Ashley sitting at one of the stools drinking iced tea. Spencer smiled as Ash handed her a glass.

"You should take one out to your father. He should be here soon."

"Aren't you going to put on some more clothes." Spencer asked. "You definitely need some more on."

"And you definitely need some more off." Ashley retorted. She then pulled Spencer down on her lap and bear hugged her. "You smell good."

Spencer didn't want to go home now. She didn't want to be staring at suitcases. She was in no mood to pack.

What she wanted was to breathe the flower-scented air and see the beauty of Aruba and fill her senses with it. This had undoubtedly been the best summer of her life, and she didn't know when she'd be back on this island of paradise again.

"I'm just thinking of the greatest summer I just had."

Ashley's phone started ringing. So Spencer got up and kissed Ashley's forehead. She then poured another glass of iced tea and went outside to give Ashley some privacy.

When she was outside, she put the glasses on the table and sat down on one of the chairs in the shade. About five minutes later, she heard Arthur's car pull up to the villa. She got up to greet her father, offering him the iced tea she brought out.

"Have some," she said. "I just brought them out."

He drank one of the glasses right down. "Thanks." he replied.

There was something about him that she couldn't put her finger on. There was an excitement that hovered right beneath the surface. There was something new.

"Let me guess. You finished something important?"

He nodded and smiled.

"And everything worked out as you planned?"

He nodded again.

"That's wonderful, dad," Spencer said happily. "You should celebrate. Do something special."

"_We'll_ do something special, he corrected, looking around the courtyard. "Where's Ash?"

"Running up her cell bill. I think she went to put on some clothes as well."

Arthur's eyebrows went up curiously.

"It's a long story dad," Spencer said, noticing her fathers reactions. "Nothing for someone like you to worry about."

Just then, Ash opened the sliding door, fully clothed, and walked out.

"How did everything work out?" Ash asked, after the initial greeting.

"Perfect," her father answered.

"And the time frame?"

"Just as I told you."

"You two are speaking in code. That _male_ bonding stuff again, isn't it?" Spencer complained. "Well, before you guys break into spitting contests and flatten beer cans on your foreheads, show some good manners."

Ashley made a disgusted face. "Okay, first of all, ew. I don't do saliva chucking. And second of-"

"Don't try to change the subject, Ash."

Arthur and Ash grinned at each other. What was going on?

"Um, well I'm going inside to. . .get a glass of iced tea," Ash said after a moment of silence.

"Ash, there's a full glass in your hand," Spencer said, suspiciously.

"I'm pretty thirsty," Arthur said, making a quick recovery for the brunette's slip-up. Ashley handed him the cup and he drank it. "Why don't you sit down, Spencer."

She noticed a special look Ash sent her before disappearing into the villa. She couldn't decipher it

"Sit down, Spencer," Arthur repeated.

Suddenly, she was nervous. "No, I'm not going to sit down," she announced. "Come on. Out with it. What's going on?"

"Okay, well, I need to sit," Arthur said. He took another sip of the now empty glass of iced tea.

"Dad, start talking. You were going to tell me something, so out with it. But I'm warning you. This had better not be bad news. I'm feeling pretty fragile right now, after being rejected and sent back to Paula ten days early. . ."

"Spencer. . ."

"In fact, I still think it's totally unfair…"

"Spencer, how would you like to come and live with me?"

"I mean, after not seeing me for. . ."she stopped and stared at him in disbelief, his words finally registering. "You want me to come live with you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Where?"

"Sacramento," he said.

She sat down but missed the chair.

As she went sprawling on the ground, her father immediately jumped out of his seat and was beside her. She must have been standing by the door, because she was there in an instant, too.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked.

Spencer held onto both seats as they lifted her gracefully on the edge of her seat. She nodded an 'okay' to Ash. She then looked up at Arthur.

"I'm taking a real desk job in Sacramento at the end of the summer." He said.

Spencer then turned wide-eyed to Ash. The brunette smiled and took her hand.

Arthur continued." And this won't be a three month or six month assignment. It's permanent, or at least for as long as I decide to continue working for the government. I could actually retire in a year."

Spencer's head swam with all this information. "When are you moving?"

"In two weeks."

"Does Paula know about this?"

He nodded. "I've been talking to her about it for the past couple of weeks."

"Was this her idea? I mean, me moving in with you."

"No." he said firmly. "It's my idea. And she's already said flat out that she's not too happy about it. But she's going to leave the decision to you."

"Is this why you were sending me back to Cincinnati earlier than planed?"

"Yeah," Arthur said. "I knew you'd need a chance to pack and get ready and pul together all your records for the school and do anything else that needs to be done."

"You were planning to come and see me in two weeks." Spencer said, still holding Ash's hand.

Ash kissed Spencer's hand.

"I still am," she said. "I was hoping I could help you move."

"You knew what was going on. And Paula knew. Mac and Aiden?"

They both nodded.

"Probably everyone in Aruba knew. . Except me." She frowned at Arthur. "Why did you wait so long to ask me?"

"Because I had to make sure. I wanted the paperwork in my hands with all the signatures on it. If I'd told you this and then something went wrong, I knew you'd feel betrayed. I didn't want that to happen."

He was right; she would have been hurt. But Spencer didn't think he could have changed her name from Carlin to something else. Nut after this summer.

"This morning, everything finally came in." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "but you haven't answered me yet. And as you can tell, I'm a little nervous about this. I still don't know if you'd ever want to leave Ohio. I mean, I've barely been a step above a stranger to you for most of your life. But after this summer, I knew I had to make some changes in my life. I have a daughter that I love and want to know better. I don't want to miss this last year that you'll be living at home. I want to-"

"Yes, dad." Spencer finally let go of Ash's hand. She leaned forward and gave him a hug. She smiled at Ash. "I'd love to move to Sacramento with you, but only on one condition."

He pulled back and looked at her. "Anything."

"You have to answer one question."

"Go ahead," he urged.

"What's the deal with the barf bags?"

**--The next day at the airport--**

"So. . ." Ash started.

"So. . ." Spencer repeated.

"I'm really going to miss you." She leaned over and planted a kiss on Spencer's forehead.

"I will too." Spencer replied. She felt all mushy inside. It felt like she was watching one of those poignant romantic movies. The ones where one of the two ends up boarding a plane to leave. Just like what was happening now.

Spencer reached her hand onto Ash's cheek. She rubbed her thumb down past Ash's jaw line and over her lips. She wanted to remember as much as she could. It was only two weeks to bare. Plus, her new location with her father would only be about an hour away from Ash.

Still, she knew she was weak without the other girl's presence. And the thought of being so far away kept drifting into her mind.

"Two weeks," Ash promised.

"Spencer sighed. "Alright."

Ash bent down and placed a light kiss on the Blonde's lips. She then wrapped her hands around Spencer's waist and hugged her tight.

Spencer kissed Ash's neck and rubbed her head into the older girl's shoulder. They stayed like that for a while. Enjoying the last few minutes they had together before Spencer's departure.

"Last call for the 11:00 departure!" The man over the intercom said.

"Don't get into trouble," Ash warned, watching Spencer walk away, a small smile on her face.

"Of course I will. Since when is it otherwise?" she shot back. Thinking over the summer again, both girls let out a chuckle.

.FIN.

**Thank you all. It's been a pleasure.**


End file.
